Of Wings and Marks
by ArtemisApollo97
Summary: Her parents Marked with each other, many winters ago. He was fire. She was water. They were out of Correspondence. Their love was impossible, it had them banished. And yet, they thrived. So did their children. Children that should not have been possible. Follow Bibi, their eldest, as she navigates a land of magic, of rivalry, of love. Follow, as she Marks with an enemy of Imps- Fae
1. Chapter 1

Bibi found the lake by accident. She had wandered too far into the forest in search of her sister's favourite flowers- Okia had not been well as of the last six nights and needed some cheering up. Unfortunately, her favourite flowers grew on the edges of Imp territory, were their natures conflicted with the magics of beyond that. Bibi had strayed, lost and confused. Normally she found her way through the forest as though it shaped itself for her convenience, the dryads were often very helpful considering her water nature. But now…

Everything seemed to turn around on itself, moving so subtly, she almost didn't notice until she passed the same lightning-struck tree six times. Sighing, she swivelled on her heel and tried another route. The air bristled over her skin, dappled sunlight fluttering shadows over her face. She scratched at her arm, stepping her way through gnarled roots as long as she was tall. The tree's bough creaked overhead, a leaf brushing her shoulder. Bibi tapped her knuckles on the bark, mumbling an apology.

The shrubbery grew thicker as she twisted her way through. Why the dryads decided to build themselves into a maze around her, she didn't know. Any questions their way were all ignored, annoyance ticking over heatedly in her chest.

Distracted, her foot snagged on a rock and she fell head first, tumbling down a slope and into a clump of bushes, the leaves and twigs curiously entangling themselves in her hair as its spirit inspected the intruder. She mumbled hasty apologies and made to rise; the bush would not let her, pulling on her arms and hair to keep her down. "No, I'm sorry. I tripped, I-"

"Ssh." An airy voice came, like wind through leaves. To her left, a wispy silhouette of a tiny creature- the dryad. Her features were indiscernible from her home seen through her, but Bibi could see a tiny gesture of a point.

Peering through the leaves, she could see she had come further than initially thought. Sitting by the edge of the lake, weaving together the very flowers she had come searching for, was a fairy. Blonde, legs tucked neatly beneath her, skirts flowing in an iridescent shimmer of colours. Bibi had not seen a fairy at full-size before, they often travelled as coloured, gently glowing orbs. This one was petite, seemingly no taller than Bibi's shoulder. Her soft singing travelled across the waters; Bibi clamped her hands over her ears. Fairy music was said to lead any imp astray, drive them to madness or sleep for a thousand of years.

But the dryad was shaking her head, her leaves ruffling on Bibi's skin. She moved her hands to her ears and away, shaking her head once more. "It's safe." She breathed. Bibi hesitated. "I live here, it's safe, I promise." A dryad's promise. Strong, like their nature.

So Bibi listened. She did not feel tired, she did not fly into a rage. She felt calm, almost at home in this bush, scraped and banged up from her fall, but comfortable. The dryad hummed along, swaying slowly to the tune.

The fairy lifted her creation, examining the swirls of petals and stems. Her nose, slightly upturned, dashed with freckles that splayed over her cheeks. Her hair, as golden as the summer sunshine, was impossibly long- how it did not entangle in her wings upon flight, Bibi did not understand. But fairies were like that- they loved their long hair. She wore it in a high ponytail, curls tumbling down almost endlessly, around her ears, pointed like an imp's but longer, the tips decorated with silver that gleamed in the afternoon sunlight. Fairies loved their shiny things, but that seemed to be the only jewellery this one wore. A shawl was over her shoulders, light and creamy, tied with a ribbon over her heart, a pale green shirt tucked into her skirt. The skirt itself, why, it seemed it was made purely of a flower, petals of pinks and greens and oranges bleeding into each other, a strange but intoxicating blend of colours.

The singing changed tone, lifting into the air. The flowers in her hands, so soft and delicate, were trailing into life, twisting together, the floral attributes seeming to perk up, glittering almost with a magic Bibi had not seen before. The creation became a crown and it settled nicely on her blonde hair. She seemed pleased with it, stretching her wings. They glimmered with rainbows, spirals and diamonds and swirls of all sorts decorating them. No two fairies' wings were the same.

The dryad hissed, pulling on Bibi's hair.

"What?"

"Look!" She pointed down, seemingly more solid now. Bibi's heart skipped a beat. On the inside of her wrist, a new mark was appearing. Imps were covered in marks, all respective to their nature. Being a water imp, Bibi was covered in pale blue waves and spirals and flowing patterns, every inch of her skin covered. As she grew older, more marks appeared, clamouring for space. Her mother assured her that once she hit seventeen winters, no more would show, the rest would simply adjust to match her abilities.

But this new mark… it was _not_ a water mark.

It didn't even look like an imp mark.

There was a shocked gasp from across the water, the singing abruptly cut off. Looking up, the fairy was on her feet, scanning the area frantically. Her wings slowly buzzed into life, she searched and searched, pale as the moon. The dryad wound her home around Bibi, keeping her charge covered. They stayed quiet and still until the fairy took off, hurrying back to her home town, holding onto her arm.

Bibi scrambled back, tearing off her sleeve to hurriedly wrap around her wrist. The dryad fluttered before her face, squeaking in panic.

"The rules, the rules!" She kept saying. Bibi shushed her, listening for more dryads. Most were asleep or otherwise occupied during the day, they liked to take the time to bask in the sun's rays. "What are you going to do?"

"I… I don't know. I need to go home and figure this out."

"But-"

"I know. Please, _please_ don't tell anyone."

"No, of course not! It's far too dangerous! You must go, quickly!" Bibi nodded, hurriedly threw some thanks to the dryad and started running. Her route home was faster, the forest complied once more. She didn't stop until she stumbled over the threshold of her home, slamming the door behind her.

"Bibi, ssh! Okia's resting!"

"Sorry, Papi." She gasped, leaning against the door as she caught her breath. Nidas stood, brow raised.

"Everything OK, mija? What happened to your wrist, why are you all scratched up?"

"I… got lost. And fell. I'm fine, honest."

"Why were you running?"

"I was… racing a dryad. She wasn't happy with me winning." Nidas laughed.

"They never are. Go and get yourself cleaned up, before your mama comes home." Bibi nodded, sticking to the edges of the room. She ducked under the curtain, in the lean-to that served as their bathroom. Their home was of a generic build, despite her father's best attempts. They were settled to the outskirts of their village, a mish-mash of these buildings. Simple huts of stone and woven roofs, any additional rooms later added on rather slap-hazard. Their bathroom, a simple tub their mother filled for them each evening, a make-shift sink and toilet Nidas had upgraded as best he could with their current situation. They had running water, as long as the tank outside remained filled and the irrigation Nidas had installed remained intact. Like all the homes of this village, it was sparsely decorated, except for the height chart they had on the inner wall, by the curtain. It dated back to even when she was little, fifteen winters ago, lines upon lines, different colours for each child. It was their one simple addition that meant a lot to all of them. It had been updated shy of three nights ago, Char standing on his tiptoes until his mother tapped him on the head with the charcoal.

Looking in the buffed metal above their sink, her reflection rippled and grimaced back at her. She had far more scratches than she initially thought, a bruise on her chin. Pulling the chain overhead, the sink began to fill. She let it splash in until a third, releasing the chain. Water dripped from the pipe and she sighed.

Extending her hands, the water came alive, sliding over her fingers, across her knuckles. It glanced over her skin, washing away any existence of the injuries acquired on her latest excursion. Each imp relied on their element for healing, but it was an equal exchange. Each element relied on their imps to keep their magic alive. To deny your nature was to deny your world, to destroy it.

The bruise on her chin faded into nothingness and she sighed. Back to normal.

Well… almost.

Ripping away the torn sleeve before she could chicken out, Bibi huffed at the new mark.

No, she hadn't imagined it. These kind of marks came in pairs, but she had not seen this one before. It was round, filled with symbols she did not recognise and the shadows of branches dappled with sunlight and a single flower. The very flower that started all this trouble; a moon-coral. These were hardy plants, they grew in certain, magically amplified areas. They grew like sea coral, but sprouted stems and buds that blossomed over the summer, five petals, black as the night sky. The white centre was the interesting part- it mirrored the phases of the moon. Ones left unpicked for the entire season were said to also mirror constellations, but it was considered bad luck to leave them unpicked if found, particularly by a water imp. The moon was their ally in the movements of their power.

"Bibi!" Pounding on the door startled her from her thoughts. She rewrapped the marking, cursing under her breath. "Bibi, quick! I need a wee!"

"Char, we talked about this." She opened the door, frowning down at her brother. He pouted up at her for a split second, darting between her legs to kick her out. "Char!" She protested, patting down her trouser leg. Her brother was a fire imp, his hair often encased in flames. Young imps could not always contain their elements; Char's emotions and thoughts could be tracked via these displays. Unfortunately, it meant when he did dart between someone's legs, he charred the inside of their trousers.

The front door swung open and Isa returned, huffing and fed-up.

"Mama!" Bibi smiled. Isa glanced up and smiled, weary but pleased to see her daughter. Nidas materialised from their make-shift stove, kissing his wife's cheek. Flames curled in his hair as she pinched his cheek playfully.

"Aw, did ya miss me?"

"Like a hole in the head." He confirmed, making her laugh. "Find anything interesting?"

"Just a few squirrels. Sorry." Her shoulders slumped defeatedly. "They've set up new perimeters." She swore under her breath. Nidas smiled and kissed her cheek again.

"They'll go well in a stew. Well done, chica." She smiled feebly. Nidas squeezed her hand, taking her satchel back to his stove. It was more of an indoor fire pit with a set-up for cooking over it, but he loved it. Besides his inventive hobbies and (sometimes) disasters, cooking he thoroughly enjoyed. And Isa could _not_ cook. The last time she had tried, they were inches from losing their home altogether.

"Mama?"

"Mm? Alright, Bibi?" Isa stretched, rubbing at her neck.

"Are you?"

"Mm?"

"Are you alright?"

"I'll feel better if I could get a hold of those Guards 'n' give 'em what for, but apparently that's illegal or somethin'? I dunno."

"Very illegal." Nidas called from his fire. Isa blew a raspberry.

"But more perimeters?" Bibi worried. Isa considered her for a moment, expression softening. She smiled and placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Nothin' we can't handle, Bibi. Don't stress."

"Mama!" Char re-emerged, bouncing eagerly for his mother to pick him up.

"There's my bubba boy! Aw, look, pink flames today! That means ya've been up to somethin'."

"No! Just happy!" Char smiled sweetly, hugging his mother around the neck. She was undisturbed by his flames. They did not often burn hot, quite cool and pleasant, ticklish. If they turned red or purple, there was trouble, but that had only happened once. "Okia is asleep, she won't play." He pouted.

"She's not feelin' well, remember?"

"But she's not been feeling well for _aaaaages_." He groaned, pulling at his face. Isa laughed.

"She will soon, bubba. She just needs ta rest." Char pouted but nodded all the same. "Why don't ya go 'n' draw her a picture for when she wakes up?" He brightened, flames turning orange. "Attaboy." Isa grinned, setting him down. His feet were pedalling to run off before his feet even touched the floor. "Too much energy, that one."

"Gee, I wonder why." Bibi remarked. Isa eyed her sidelong.

"Didn't get the flowers, did ya?" She smirked, a cheeky gleam dancing in her eyes as her daughter's expression deadpanned. "Go 'n' draw a picture with Char, make sure he doesn't burn all the sheets again."

"No promises." Bibi muttered, sulking off. Isa went and joined her husband, being his dutiful taste tester.

Char was sat in the bedroom, beside their sister's bed. He had his charcoal and sheets spread around him already, chewing on his thumbnail as he considered what he should draw. Bibi stepped carefully over his mess, taking a seat on the edge of Okia's bed. Her little sister, only two winters between them, had come over ill just short of a quarter ago. It was unlike earth imps to be stricken with such ailments, they were far too sturdy to be hit with such things. But she burned up like a fire imp in temper, breaths short and laboured. Her eyes were tight shut, brow furrowed as she murmured restlessly, a thin layer of perspiration glistening on her skin.

"Hey, Okia." Bibi smiled gently, brushing her sister's hair back from her head. Okia stirred, eyes opening to blearily squint at Bibi. She tried to speak, lips moving soundlessly. Bibi reached to the stool set up beside the bed, filling a beaker with water. She helped her sister sit up and drink. Char bounced up, recovering Okia's comb.

Of the two sisters, Okia's hair was the longest. Bibi had hers cut short, not even shoulder-length, always had done, but she did love to tidy her sister's hair. Char sat in Okia's lap, keeping her upright as he babbled about his various adventures of the day as Bibi combed out her sister's hair.

Brushing some of it over Okia's shoulder, Bibi sighed. Her sister's markings were coming through, building on the back of her neck and down her back, disappearing under the old shirt she wore. It was four sizes too big, but that did not stop it being her favourite thing to wear once the night fell.

Unlike Bibi and Char, who had inherited their elements from their parents, Okia had gone one further and received abilities from their mother's family. Isa was the only water imp in a family of earth imps, having received her abilities from a grandparent she had never met. Nidas had some earth heritage too, but more distant than his wife's.

It wasn't unheard of for imps to pair up out of their elements, considering those elements corresponded with each other. For example, earth and water, fire and air, air and water, earth and fire. Each combination came with its own set of extra abilities.

But water and fire.

That was not heard of.

Isa had met Nidas while restocking her arrows in the market. He was struggling to find someone to help him in regards to his research project, or at the very least give him directions to where he needed to go. Due to his nature in an earth town, he was immediately shunned. Except for Isa- she had offered to help him. Fire imps weren't allowed in the town, that was true. But, there was an exception- permission granted by the Lower Council of the District.

She was surprised to find this 'dashingly handsome devil' kind and cheeky, yet also scared of the forest. It was a new environment for him; his people too destructive to maintain any kind of nature of this degree. They parted ways at the library he had been searching for, but that night, their Marks appeared. Isa confided in one friend to begin with, an attraction and deception imp the kids knew simply as Pip. Even though they had never met this Pip, they had already been warned off her pies. If not for her intervention, Isa and Nidas may not have come together of their own accord- their pairing was out of Correspondence.

Their story always turned hazy at this point and they would often skip to the day they were exiled here. From what Bibi and Okia could sniff out, there may have been some altercation with their families, but they were never given answers when they asked. They knew their parents would write home on occasion, but by the time the heavy censorship of the Guards had crossed their sheets, it really wasn't worth it.

Upon their exile, they were forced to live in this village far from the main towns, both in distance and progress. Nidas's projects fell into nothingness, Isa's hunting was limited; it was a strict environment out here. They were the only family out here- the dozen or so other huts were filled with those exiled for various crimes too great for regular prison. This didn't bother Isa and she often popped round to see Ward, the fire imp exiled for burning down the Lower Council's chairman where he stood. His reasons were a mystery, but he was a close family friend, he loved the children like they were his own. Nidas, like all fire imps, felt a natural distrust of the man. Fire imps were the most territorial of all the Imps, but he had come to tolerate Ward and vice-a-versa. They settled for a mostly-friendly competitive relationship. Plus, Ward's tea, despite it's sickly smell and colour, was the most wonderful thing any of them had ever tasted. Sometimes, he would swear blind that was the only reason they kept him around.

When Bibi was born, everyone had been astounded. She, and later on her siblings, were physically impossible. Their parents' clashing energies, as long recorded as history itself, would have made children a wistful, far off dream. But Bibi had been born anyway. As had Okia, two winters later, and then Char, six winters after her. At Bibi's arrival, Nidas had been hoping for a fire imp like him, but was amused when her blue water markings started to appear at only three moons old. Isa was extremely proud, boasting to their neighbours about her wonderful, odds-defying water baby.

Okia came along, born with an earth mark on her shoulder. Nidas was not impressed again, wondering if his fire had been dampened by her water. She told him to shut up and when Char was born, his hair burst into pink flames five minutes after she had him. Nidas was extremely pleased with this, bouncing and flailing and whooping, now his turn to boast about his fire baby, darting about the village, while his two daughters sat on the threshold, booing him cheekily.

Now, they were a family of five, the only family in the village. Every imp here took it upon themselves to look after these children, always passing them food or coins or extra sheets and charcoal, talking to each of them, always checking in on them. Hearing the news of Okia's sickness, they were distraught, imploring as to how they could help. They came by with anything they thought that could help, from medicines to spells to the rock Ward's mother had insisted kept evil spirits at bay, (it didn't, but no-one had the heart to tell him it was just a rock).

Tying the last braid, Bibi sighed again. She moved to lay her sister back down, rolling her onto her side. Char pulled the blankets up to her shoulder and then sat heavily on the floor to draw her a series of random pictures that only he knew what they were. Isa popped her head in, shoulders slumping upon seeing her daughter sleeping once more.

"Dinner's nearly ready." She told them. "Let Okia rest now." Char began to protest, waving his sheets around. Isa raised a brow and his flames went from orange to timid blue.

"Yes Mama." He smiled, shoulders hunching innocently.

"Coward." Bibi teased.

"He's seven."

"Yeah, I this many!" He threw his charcoal at her, cackling wickedly. Isa cleared her throat and they filed out quickly. She went in to check on Okia while they sat with their father, holding their bowls ready for his squirrel and vegetable stew.

"Is your wrist OK, Bibi?"

"Mm? Oh. Oh, yeah, yeah it's fine."

"Then why is it still wrapped?"

"I'm trying a new look."

"Right…" Nidas quirked a brow. Bibi smiled, heart thudding against her ribs. Char laughed suddenly, blowing a raspberry and dunking his spoon in his stew. "Char, that's for eating!" Nidas shook his head, setting his bowl aside to help his son. Isa returned, looking sullen. "This is _your_ son." Nidas claimed, not looking round. Char giggled, spraying stew and then laughing some more. "Oh, you're disgusting."

"Mama do it!" He insisted, kicking his feet.

"Fine. You butthead." Nidas passed Char's bowl and spoon to Isa, sitting back to sulkily eat his own.

"Aw, Papi, don't be like that. You know Char's always liked Mama feeding him."

"Big baby."

"He is not!" Isa protested.

"Totally is." Nidas muttered, making a face at his next spoonful. Isa glowered, using the water in his stew to send it up his nose. Nidas choked and spluttered, startling backwards as his eyes watered. He shook his head frantically, coughing violently. He managed to hack out a few choice words until she relented and cleared the water from his airways. "I… am going off you." He decided eventually, rubbing at his nose and eyes. "That hurt."

"Again!" Char insisted.

"No, not again!"

"I'm considerin' it."

"Well don't. No considering it. I could've died."

"Don't be so dramatic."

"You knew that when you married me." Isa laughed. Nidas stuck his tongue out.

"Are we ever going to have a normal dinner time?" Bibi mused aloud.

"Define 'normal'."

"Not this."

"Then no."

* * *

**A partially thought-out WIP- any questions, feel free to ask! I'm posting this ahead of schedule, so don't expect updates on this as often as my other new one, Twins of Neptune! (In which I'm rewriting most of HoO, just so I can add Lou in, I was bored). Let me know what you think in the reviews! :D I do have parts of the Leoisa version written, if anyone's interested, but I'm **_**aaalllwwayys **_**writing Leoisa! **


	2. Chapter 2

**To Vanilla- Nidas is Leo. Without spoiling it, other characters will be referenced/show up, but not yet! And I hope you like this chapter! I had to do some tweaking, but I did my best! **

**Just to clarify- a shift is an hour, a quarter is a week, a moon is a month and a winter is a year. **

* * *

Bibi poked Okia's temple, frowning. Her sister stared back at her with bleary, unimpressed eyes. Bibi poked her again.

"Stop being ill."

"Stop being mean."

"As your older sister, it's my duty to be mean. As my younger sister, it's your duty not to be contagious."

"I'm not contagious." Okia's protest cut off with a rough bout of coughing. Bibi sat back in her chair, covering her mouth and nose with her hands. "Oh, shut up." Okia wheezed. "You're the wrong nature to get this."

"Not taking any chances, hermana." Bibi considered her for a moment, eventually poking her again. Okia sighed. "Get better, this has been going on for, like, a million quarters now."

"No, it hasn't. Not even been a full quarter yet." There was a wicked giggle behind them. Before they could turn, Char hopped up onto Okia's bed, sitting astride her lap.

"You awake!" He beamed, throwing his hands up. Okia coughed into her fist and he recoiled, drawing his knees up to his chest and hiding his face in his hands. He peeked at her through his fingers. Okia sighed.

"By the moon, I am _not contagious._ Mama!" She called. "Mama, they're being horrible!" Isa stuck her head in moments later, raising a brow at them. Okia jolted her leg and Char fell backwards, squealing and giggling. Isa shook her head, smiling.

"Out." She ordered. "Let Okia rest."

"But she's been resting for _aaagggeeeess_." Bibi complained, rising. Char flourished his hands and she picked him up, perching him on her hip. "Come on, Char, let's leave the germ bag to her contagion." They stuck their tongues out at Okia. Isa waved them out, playfully flicking them both in the head as they passed.

"You OK?" She asked, once they were out of earshot.

"I'm not contagious."

"Only ta other earth imps." Isa agreed. "Ya look a bit better though, less like shit."

"Thanks, Mama, love you too."

* * *

Two quarters had passed. Every sunrise, Bibi checked her wrist. Yep, that marking was still there. She kept it covered now, using some of her mother's old gauntlets to 'accentuate her new look'. Isa didn't mind, as long as Bibi kept up with her training. She tried to, but she was hesitant to return to the forest. When Isa offered to give her some extra one-on-one lessons on shooting and Bibi didn't jump at the chance, Isa immediately became suspicious.

"Why?"

"Well, I just… um…" Bibi floundered. "Don't want to?" She eventually decided, squeezing her eyes shut and hunching her shoulders. "Oh, sorry, Mama, I do but…"

"But what?"

"Um… I just, uh…"

"Has somethin' happened?"

"No, Mama, I-" Isa frowned. Bibi startled, taking a step back.

"Ya can tell me."

"I know." Isa waited. When her daughter didn't explain further, she shrugged.

"OK. What'd ya wanna do then?"

"Um… I think I should practise my close combat a bit more. I've only really been up against Okia, but she's still not right, it's not fair." Isa hummed, thoughts drifting to her second daughter. It had only been the past quarter Okia was walking about again, but she insisted on catching up on her training, despite their protests.

"OK." She eventually said, still mulling over something. A question simmered behind her eyes, but she never voiced it. Bibi looked back to the village, only a stone's throw away. Ward waved at them from his doorstep, where he sat whittling yet another flute. Isa sighed. "He's been makin' 'em for so many winters, but can't ever play 'em."

"As long as it doesn't affect his tea making skills, it's OK." Bibi shrugged. Isa smiled and waved back. She stayed quiet, watching the village. Nidas and Ferd- an earth imp- appeared, debating something, in the square. A dozen houses stood around the small square, a path they were never allowed to use winding into the forest on the other side of them. The forbidden path was manned by two Imp Guards at all times- well, supposedly. They were often missing for long periods of time, which gave Isa ample opportunity to sneak out. The forest was thick and heavy with magic of many, many creatures. It was their prison walls. Isa used it to bring extra food into the village, proper meats, berries in the warmer moons, extra wood for when the winters drew in.

Nidas flailed his arms, smacking himself in the forehead. Ferd threw his hands up in protest. Isa sighed.

"What d'ya wanna bet it's over somethin' stupid, like how many pinecones they can fit in their mouths?"

It wasn't pinecones. It was acorns. Bibi zoned out as Isa listened to the pair of them debate it all over again, distractedly watching another of their neighbours- Crazy Lady. They didn't know her real name, and she was a little strange. A small, hunched imp of fifty or so winters with greying jet black hair. Her markings were cream over her dark skin. A rarity- a mind-reader. Except, she had no control over it. She had never found someone to help her learn. The intrusions of everyone's thoughts had driven her around the bend. The final straw was when she refused to spy for the Council, spilling rather scandalous and bloody secrets to the general population about several of the Council Members. She now stood at the well, muttering to herself as she lowered her bucket, her right arm twitching every few seconds. She looked up, fragile brown eyes staring straight into Bibi's eyes. A cold feeling washed through her- _Crazy Lady would know about the fairy. _

Bibi quickly focused on her father and Ferd, repeating their words quietly back to herself. Crazy Lady tutted and went back to the well.

"And that is why _you_ would never be able to beat me!" Ferd finished dramatically, crossing his arms over his chest. Nidas tipped his chin up. Isa held her hands out, pushing them back a few steps.

"I'm sure you'll both be great at chokin' ta death on acorns 'n' I'm so glad you're usin' ya brains productively." She fixed them both with a firm glower and they were immediately contrite. Ferd took another step back.

"Sorry, Isa. Your husband is an idiot."

"I'm aware. He is my husband, after all."

"She married me for a reason, _Ferd_." Nidas blew a raspberry. Isa rolled her eyes, planting her hands on her hips. Nidas smiled innocently and Ferd took yet another step away. Bibi marvelled at her mother, at the authority she wielded over the two men. Would she be like that one day? Just a simple look, a change in stance, and the idiots stopped talking? She could only hope.

"Small child!" Crazy Lady warned, pointing across the square. Char barrelled in, seemingly from thin air, his hair encased in bright orange flames. He laughed wickedly, brandishing long sticks, one in each hand.

"I will slay the beast!" He declared, swinging the twigs around wildly, with all the force he could muster.

"Slay the beast?" Isa repeated. She and Nidas shared a glance. "By the moon, Oti better not be tellin' him stories again."

"At least he's encouraging a creative imagination." Ferd pointed out weakly. Isa raised a brow at him and he moved back three steps.

"He's encouragin' a walkin' headache 'n' jumpin' off roofs to _slay the beast_." Char yelled defiantly and ran at Crazy Lady. She stared him down, calmly tipping the contents of her bucket over his head. He spluttered, skidding to a halt. The fire in his hair was gone, replaced with steam and a loser's pout. Crazy Lady set her bucket on the edge of the well, one hand on her waist. She bowed to look him in the eye.

"Young man, you'll need more than some sticks to take me down."

"Bigger sticks?" He asked.

"Bigger than you by far." She chortled. Char held his sticks out for inspection, frowning at them. He tossed them to one side and shook his head, flicking water in all directions.

"Char!" Isa called. "What'd I say 'bout attackin' people?"

"Kick them hard where it hurts!" He beamed, stomping his feet and practising his kicks. Isa hung her head, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"No, mijo!" Nidas laughed. "That's only bad people!"

"People all bad! I am small!"

"Yeah, my bad." Nidas grimaced. Char raced towards them, crashing into his mother's legs. With a flick of her hand, the water was dispelled from him and his fire returned, a cheeky yellow. He held his hands up, making grabbing motions at her.

"Hug please!" He requested.

"Don't put anythin' down my shirt." Isa warned. Char froze, pursing his lips. Without breaking eye contact, he slowly lowered his left hand, fishing rather muddy moss from his pocket. He threw it to one side and his hand shot back up, demanding to be picked up. Isa shook her head, trying not to smile. He laughed and kicked his legs as she scooped him up, flinging his arms around her neck.

"This is your son." She told Nidas.

"Again, my bad."

* * *

A third quarter passed. Bibi couldn't sleep one night, the moon full and Char talking in his sleep. She lay back on her pillows, once again examining her wrist marking.

She had tried debating it over and over with herself, tried washing it away on more than one occasion, anything to talk herself out of believing it was there. Nothing worked. And as the nights wore on, this chasm seemed to open somewhere in her gut, pulling everything she had ever thought was good about herself away. This mark consumed.

Because she was ignoring it.

Ignoring it was the worst thing she could do.

This was a soul mark. Everyone got one, once in their life. When it showed, you had to connect it with whoever's arrival had sparked its appearance. She had seen her parents' hundreds of times. All soul marks appeared on the inside of the wrist of their left hands. Nidas's and Isa's, when they first materialised, had been halves of a whole. Hers showed flames burning on a substance unseen by them. His showed an expanse of water glimmering with a reflection of an unknown light source. When put side by side, their markings expanded, forming the complete picture of the burning water. An impossible feat, but that did not stop them trying all the same. The Marks never faded; they stayed the complete picture, unlike others imps'. It had never been solved as to why.

Something was definitely missing in Bibi's. She wasn't sure what, something under the branches, between the funny symbols around the edges. But she knew where it belonged. The village had a small 'library'. It was a place for the Exiled to go to read up on why they were exiled, how the Guards helped apply the Laws to the Main Lands. Everything that kept the imps alive and compliant were in those books. There were no stories, just lessons upon lessons, rules upon rules.

But it showed one thing. A forbidden language. The Fae Tongue.

The fairies' language was complex, confusing. Impish was far easier to comprehend, it was simple and straight to the point. The Fae Tongue was flowing and poetic, each letter written elaborately, each sentence constructed as though music and rhythm had birthed it. It hurt Bibi's head, but she recognised some of the symbols. She could not decipher what they said on her wrist, but she was certain they were of the Fae Tongue.

She had to go back. A little voice was tickling the back of her mind, but each night that passed, it grew louder and more incessant. _Return, find she who pairs you_.

The singing fairy. A song thought dangerous, proven sweet and calming. A creature rivalled to their species, destined to be her pair, the marking a stark contrast to all that kept them apart. For as long as anyone could remember, for as long as records went back, the Fae and the Imps were sworn enemies. The Fae believed Imps brought nothing but destruction and death. The Imps believed the Fae could and would control them, that they wanted them out of the way to expand their kingdom. The Fae loved to expand, they loved to explore and take treasures that did not belong to them. They could get along with most of the kingdoms around, but the Imps? No. The Imps were far too protective of their land to give it up so easily and the Fae did not like that. There had been war, there had been _countless_ deaths on both sides, but the Imps overpowered and won. Numbers depleted, the Fae had retreated back to their grove, nursing their wounds and hoarding their treasures. The records hinted at more misfortune between the two species, but such information had been lost to time or reworded into inaccurate representations in bedtime stories.

Fairies had powers to quell an imp. Imps did not like to be tamed.

And this imp… this imp was going to do something stupid, _really_ stupid.

She was going to cross the border.


	3. Chapter 3

The following morning, Bibi was back at the lake. She toed the border, magic heaving where it fought between two rival cultures. It was like hazy ground in the summer heat, filling the air, the force of it pushing back and forth spilling cool air in multiple directions.

"Hey." Bibi glanced round. The dryad from the bush, she was near her shoulder. "Did you figure it out?"

"Not really. Did you tell anyone?"

"I would never."

"Thank you."

"You can't cross."

"I have to."

"An imp walking into the land of the fairies… that's a death penalty, you know that." Bibi nodded. "I will come with you." Bibi started, head whipping round to stare at the dryad.

"No, you can't-"

"My home is on this border. I am allowed to freely cross and," she shrugged, "they will trust me. Dryads never lie."

"They can omit the truth." Bibi reminded. The dryad nodded. "Why do you want to cross?"

"I am curious; I would like to see how this plays out."

"I appreciate your help, but I don't want you getting hurt."

"Fairies can't hurt dryads. They rely too much on our homes to build their own." Bibi nodded, wringing her hands. "My name is Angea."

"Bibi."

"I will follow you, Bibi."

"Thank you, Angea." The dryad smiled, alighting on Bibi's shoulder. Taking a breath, Bibi stepped over. The magic and the coolness of the air tried pushing against her, but it had no physical force. Her skin tingled, she could feel the clashing of two energies buzzing through her veins. There was a soft whistling noise seeming to emanate from the border wall, it grew and then slowly dwindled, as if it moved further away. "What was that?"

"It's a signal. The fairies will know you are here within the next shift." She pointed at the sky. "You do not have long." Bibi nodded and headed down towards the lake. She could see no sign of the fairy.

"This fairy. Do you know much about her?"

"I do not know her name. But she comes to the lake often, she likes to sing."

"Have you talked to her?"

"In passing."

"Has she been back since I was last here?"

"Once. Four nights ago, she came with another fairy I did not recognise. I did not hear what they were talking about, but they were not here for long." Bibi nodded again, waving her hand. The water rippled and she could walk on it. "Impressive." Angea remarked. "But you are of a strange nature, no?"

"I-"

"I can sense these things. You are against nature."

"Wow, thanks."

"No, you misunderstand. I know who your parents are, I know you were born in exile. You and your siblings should not exist, fire and water have never combined so well."

"What do you mean?"

"I have been alive for many more winters than you, more than you think. In my time, I have heard many stories, I have seen many pairings from all walks of life, but never have I seen or heard of a fire imp and a water imp being compatible, let alone birthing live children."

"_Live_ children?"

"Yes." Angea replied matter-of-factly. Bibi hesitated, nearly taking a dunking in the water. She hurriedly regained her balance, now halfway across the lake. "But this is new. An imp and a fae, both female at that."

"There's nothing wrong with that!" Bibi replied heatedly.

"Not with you imps, no. The Fae have… slightly different views." Angea sighed. "They are stricter. Pairings should only be of those capable of offspring."

"Oh yeah?" Bibi grumbled. "What if one of them can't have _offspring_?"

"They're exiled." They had reached the other side. The Fae's forest loomed before them.

"Exiled?" Bibi repeated, staring up into the trees overhead.

"Yes." Angea sighed. "The forest here is deeper embedded in magic than your side. The Fae are expert spellcasters and delight in their showmanship of it. They love their rituals, they keep their magic alive. Unlike imps, they are not born with gifts, but most learn their trade or trades."

"The singing fairy. Her trade?"

"Music, of course. Music is heavily linked with magic here. Songs can do anything, if a fairy is singing it."

"I should go back."

"No. You will not get the answers you came for."

"But-" Bibi stopped. A tingle wound down her spine, her ears picking up on the rustling of leaves without any breeze. It simply could have been a shift in magic, like in the Imp woods; magic liked to play and tease its home as much as the imps did. Some believed its where the imps gained their mischievous natures.

This felt different. This rustling, this magic. It was _watching_.

Angea seemed to pick up on it as well.

"Up there." She pointed, floating from Bibi's shoulder so she could see her. A second after Bibi followed her direction, a pink-orange light fled from the tree, zipping out of sight a heartbeat later. "That was a Fae."

"The singing one?"

"I would not like to say for sure. Let us keep moving." Bibi glanced back. The lake was not too far behind her, she could be back in her home land within two minutes.

Angea had different ideas. She pulled on Bibi's hair, turning her attention forward. She urged her onwards, humming quietly to herself while Bibi walked. Every now and then, they saw more flashes of light burst from trees and head further inland. They summarised they may be Watchers, hurrying away to report back on this Imp coming into their land.

Glancing up at the sky, Bibi could see they were now within the next shift. She had lost sight of the lake long ago. All that spread before her was forest. If not for Angea, she would have been misled, turned around, taken into the trees to never be seen again.

"Wait." Angea warned. "Kneel." She said a second later. Bibi did. The lights were back, mostly reds and blues this time. They circled Bibi, hissing angrily. "These are the Guards from the Fairy Kingdom. They want to know why you are here?"

"I've got a mark." Bibi replied, looking from one light to the other, trying to figure out which one she should address. "I need your help to understand it." Some faint buzzing this time, some of it curious, most infuriated.

"They do not believe you. Show them." Bibi fumbled to remove the gauntlet of her left wrist, showing the nearest light the round marking there. Angea explained to them what had happened, listening to their responses carefully. "No, it is real. I saw it appear. I know, I understand this has never happened before, but I have accompanied Bibi here to figure this out. She comes in peace." More buzzing, almost laughter like. The light on Bibi's right expanded. Within seconds, a man stood there, wings folding carefully against his back. His hair was dark, to his shoulders, his face hard and cold. "Stand." Angea advised. Bibi did, scrambling in her haste. "This is Grah, he leads the Fae Guard." He was dressed in royal blue, a uniform of sorts, some sort of armour plating built into it. Bibi didn't pay him much heed, her eyes couldn't focus as her heart thudded behind her ribs.

Around her, more and more fairies appeared, male and female, all dressed the same as Grah. They all held swords, the craftsmanship Bibi had not seen before. Every single blade was aimed at her. She raised her hands. Angea insisted they came peacefully.

"We believe you did, dryad. But imps are another matter altogether."

"Please, I just wanted to figure out what this meant." She showed Grah her wrist again. His eyes narrowed dangerously, cold fingers clamping around her arm. He yanked her hand forward, leaning down to closer examine the mark for himself.

"It is disjointed writing, that of a child learning his penmanship. The sentence is incomplete." He threw her hand away, wiping his own clean on his clothing. "By Law, you are to accompany us to the Council. There, they will decide what to do with you. Considering you have not shown any destructive behaviour yet, they may go easy on you. They may even send you to the mines, if you are lucky. Imps are such efficient workers when given the right incentive." He smirked, eyes glittering coldly.

"Now, I'm sure it won't come to that-" Angea tried.

"We'll see." Grah interrupted, fixing a steely look on Bibi. "We will see."

So Bibi followed Grah, surrounded by his colleagues. Angea sat on her shoulder, trying to soothe her, but Bibi could hardly hear her. This was a bad idea, she should never have followed the mark, despite its protests. Her family, if she were never to return, what would happen to them?

The forest grew deeper, trees taller. Fae shrunk into their orbs upon seeing her, but they buzzed overhead, hundreds upon hundreds of them, whispering amongst themselves like an endless wind. A tightness crossed her chest, clogging her throat; Bibi trod as carefully as she could, hands trembling. It took her willpower and more to focus on the back of Grah's head. She was never going to leave this place, they would not allow it.

Finally, they arrived. A tree, its lowest branches lost to the green heavens above, the roots spreading in every direction as far as she could see. The trunk could have easily held thirty of her village. She hesitated; a sharp point immediately dug to her spine.

Grah went into the roots, a cave, twenty feet above her head. Okia would have been so happy here. They walked further in, climbing stairs wider than her home. She lost track of all the twists and turns, but they eventually emerged onto a landing. It was well-lit, despite its lack of windows, the rainbow flames of torches reflecting and shimmering from the golden inlays of the tiles, tapestries woven of silken fabric that glittered in every gemstone shade and more. They detailed aspects of Fae life, past and present, stories and truths. Grah told her this as they walked along- "Consider yourself lucky, Imp. Those before you that have seen these never lived to tell anyone else." Bibi stayed quiet, frost growing on her fingertips in her agitation. She tucked her hands under her arms, shoulders hunching as she struggled for breath.

She looked for Angea. The dryad managed a small smile, but her eyes betrayed her- she was already wondering how to tell Bibi's family.


	4. Chapter 4

**Short chapter!**

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They stopped at a door, six times the size of all the others, embellished with thousands upon thousands of precious metals and jewels. Grah nodded and four of his team moved to push them open. Bibi was marched in, given barely seconds to register the vast expanse of this mountainous room, as richly decorated as everything else. She saw two thrones at the top, only one occupied. The woman sat there, ethereal in her beauty, sharp in her attitude, but in extreme contrast to the room. Her dress was a simple gown, laced bodice and sleeves, softly glimmering like freshly fallen snow. Her eyes were just as cold, silvery blonde hair pulled taut in a twist of braids and pins, converging into an impossible combination reaching the floor.

"Queen Atala, forgive our intrusions." Grah dropped to one knee, clamping his fist over his heart and bowing. The others copied, two forcing Bibi into the same position.

"It is with due cause. Imp, why do you feel you can come here?"

"I… I had…"

"Speak up, you vile creature." Bibi had to clamp her hands together, struggling to contain the reactive energy, her temper bubbling. Gritting her teeth, she shook her head, pushing away whoever's hand was there.

"I followed a mark."

"So it says." Grah retorted under his breath. He informed his queen, Angea summoned upon to verify the details. The Queen said nothing when he finished, running a contemplative finger over pale lips. She lounged on her throne, one leg folded neatly over the other, free arm draped over the arm, fingers spiralling with an unseen force.

"Show me." She eventually called. Bibi stood before the Guards could react, ripping her gauntlet off and thrusting her arm out. The Queen tipped her head up a fraction, quirking a brow. "As you said, Grah. Incomplete and incompetent."

"What do you wish for us to do, Your Majesty? Should we summon the Council?"

"No need."

"I thought it was your Law?" Bibi inquired immediately. A blow to the back of her leg dropped her to one knee. "Grah said that's what you did." She growled, clenching his fist.

"You come here, trespassing and frightening my people and have the bare-faced _gall_ to question our methods?" The Queen rose, her mass of her braided hair falling behind her shoulder. Sparks crackled from her skin, fury an inferno behind the previous mask. "I should have your head for that."

"My Queen?" Grah seemed to enjoy that idea. Bibi cricked her neck, glaring up at him. "Should we-?"

"No. Not yet." She swept towards them, bringing with her the sweet scents of summer days and a cool breeze. Grabbing at Bibi's wrist, she began humming to herself, her fingertip tracing her lower lip once more. "The fairy you saw at the lake that day? What was he like?"

"Female." Bibi remarked hotly. A collective hiss rose, the Queen's expression mirroring their disgust.

"That is-"

"Perfectly normal." Bibi shot across, snatching her hand away. "I've come here to learn what this means and find the fairy to figure out our next move."

"You will do no such thing!" The Queen rose to her full height, pink splodges angrily shading her cheekbones. "Remove its tongue, that should teach it to mind its manners."

"Yes, my Queen."

"No!" Angea flew up until she was eye to eye with the royal. "Your Majesty, forgive me for speaking out of turn, but would peace not be better? For thousands of winters, the Fae and the Imps have collided countless times. The consequences, bloody, the loss, beyond words. If this Imp is destined for a fairy, surely it is proof the two of you can live harmoniously?"

"Dryad, you speak whimsical dreams of nonsense. I will not burden any of my people with such a creature, especially one consider an exile amongst its own kind. Do not look so surprised, beast. Nothing happens in this kingdom without my hearing about it."

"Wouldn't happen to know anyone with an Imp mark, would you?" Bibi tried. Atala's eyes flashed dangerously and her hand lashed out, striking Bibi across the cheek. A stunned silence blotted the room.

"Take its hands too."

"Yes, your Majesty." Grah bowed again. Angea tried to protest.

"Do not seal your fate too, dryad."

"Don't." Bibi said, sensing Angea's frustration as two guards pinned her arms. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this, go home and forget this ever happened."

"But-"

"Please, Angea. I appreciate your help, but we knew this before we left." Tears welled in the dryad's eyes. She squeaked a sob, floating forward to rest her tiny forehead on Bibi's. "Tell my family." Bibi breathed, feeling Angea nod. "Go." She urged. Angea hiccuped and zipped from the room.

Looking up, Bibi met the Queen's gaze defiantly. For a moment, Atala was stunned, but another look swam over her features before quickly being replaced with her earlier rage.

"Release her."

"My… my Queen?" Grah stammered, lowering his sword defeatedly.

"Your family."

"Leave them alone."

"Your mother, a water imp too? By the name of Isa?"

"You… know-?" Bibi stumbled. "How-?" She cut off. The Guards were speaking in their own tongue, but she understood the panic in their tone. Atala raised her hand and they fell silent, tense.

"Take her back to her side of the border. Rest assured, I will not be so lenient if you were to return, imp." She turned away. Bibi, stunned beyond belief, was dragged from the room. The walk back did not take so long as she did not recognise any of it, remembering nothing of the return until she reached the lake.

"Go and never come back." Grah warned, he and the others levelling their swords at her.

"How does your queen know my mother?" They stayed quiet. "Do you know her?" The blades pinched in closer. Bibi glowered, turning to the water. Angea blasted into her face, sobbing hysterical and clinging to her hair. Bibi walked across the lake with the dryad nesting miserably in her hair, the Fae boring holes in the back of her head. Crossing the magic border, feeling the return of Imp energy, she sighed. Her head instantly felt clearer, the ache between her shoulders starting to dissipate.

"I thought you were- Bibi, I'm sorry, I-" Angea wailed. Bibi reached up and carefully picked her up, holding her gently in her hands.

"You were great back there, hermana. I owe you a favour now. Please stop crying, we're safe this side."

"Y-you-you ar-are ne-never allo-allowed to c-c-cross a-a-again!" She demanded, hiccupping. Bibi smiled softly.

"Yes ma'am."

"Excuse me?" The pair shrieked and scrambled away. Whirling round, any curses they had ready were dropped in disbelief.

The other side of the border, as close to the crossing as she dared, was the singing fairy.


	5. Chapter 5

**To Vanilla- I have spent **_**months**_** on this, your review made me SO HAPPY! Leo is Nidas, but Isa isn't Calypso, she **_**might**_** be later, haven't decided yet! Isa is Louisa, an OC of mine, Percy's twin sister. Crazy Lady is another OC, but Sally will return, just not yet! :D**

* * *

"I'm sorry I made you both jump."

"My heart stopped!" Angea despaired, feeling her chest. "It's gone, it's go- no, it's OK." She sighed and slumped, relieved in Bibi's hands. "Wait a moment," she sat up again, frowning, "what are you doing here?"

"I heard an imp crossed over and… well, I had a few questions." The fairy hunched her shoulders, tucking her hair behind her ear. Angea glanced up at Bibi, seeing a steady scarlet blush work its way under her skin.

"I would like to go home. My heart cannot take much more." She flew up to poke Bibi in the cheek. "Be careful." She whispered and then she was gone.

"A friend of yours?" The fairy asked, twirling a lock of hair around her finger.

"I… yeah. Um, why… uh…"

"My name is Lody."

"B- I'm Bibi." Lody smiled.

"It's nice to meet you, Bibi. Do you mind if I ask you about something?"

"Um…" Bibi glanced over her shoulder. She could just run for it, but… her feet would not move. The mark on her wrist, it seemed to prickle. Her instincts warned her that to leave now would prove disastrous.

"Do you have somewhere to be?" Lody asked, voice soft. Bibi looked back, swallowing nervously. Up close, she could see how blue her eyes were, vibrant like the sky on a clear day; she could see more freckles than she initially realised; her hair, long and fluffy, Bibi had to physically restrain herself from trying to touch it. Imps, by nature, loved fluffy soft materials. It made for excellent nesting and warmth.

"No, I-"

"Will you be in trouble?"

"Well… as long as I don't cross back, but… I'm sorry, I just…" She shook her head. "What… what did you want to know?" It was Lody's turn to check over her shoulder. Her right hand came up to remove a series of bracelets and bangles from her wrist.

"This showed up about three quarters ago. It is not Fae."

"No." Bibi sighed, feeling her heart sink. "No, that _is_ Imp."

"What does it mean?" Lody implored earnestly. Bibi uncovered her wrist, holding it out. Surprise burst over the fairy's features. She moved her hand closer.

"No, wait-"

But it was too late. The marks, they lit up, a gentle blue. From their original framework, lines sprouted, adding in details quickly, a rush before the artist forgot again. From the branches, water droplets ran, dripping into a lake. Between the Fae Tongue, Impish appeared.

Transfixed, neither girl moved.

"Wh-? But you're…" Lody clamped her hand to her chest. "You're a girl."

"It's different this side." Bibi retied her gauntlet, struggling to maintain a neutral expression. "I don't know what the Fae Tongue says; without it, the Impish is too disjointed to understand."

"They lit up." Lody breathed. "They lit up and the picture filled in." Bibi nodded. She just wanted to go home now. "That makes us-"

"I know."

"But… why? Our people, it's… it's never exactly been _friendly_, has it?" Lody started toying with her hair again. Bibi folded her arms and huffed. "Did you cross to… to find me?"

"I crossed to find answers. Grah and his buddies took me to your queen."

"She let you go?"

"Apparently she knows my mother." At Lody's blank look, Bibi expanded. "A water imp, like me. Isa." Lody startled, hands flying up to catch a horrified gasp. At Bibi's confused look, she whispered between her fingers.

"You don't know?"

"Know… what?" Lody mumbled something, her eyes closed, almost like a prayer. The air around her rippled and Bibi recognised the effects of spellcasting.

"I cannot tell you, it is not my place."

"Was it bad?" Lody said nothing. Feeling panic beginning to settle in her ribs again, Bibi quickly changed the subject. "What do we now then? The marks say-"

"I was going to ask you that." She gave a nervous laugh. "Well, I guess… if we didn't cross over, it wouldn't hurt to… I don't know, maybe get to know each other?"

"Even though I'm a girl?" Bibi quirked a brow, silently amused as Lody flushed crimson.

"I… well, I've never… boys, they're just so…"

"Not girls?"

"Yes!" Lody nodded as if her life depended on it. Bibi smiled.

"Imps, we don't mind, male or female. Personally, I prefer female, but… that's just me. You fairies are stricter on that sort of thing, aren't you?"

"I couldn't tell anyone!" Lody fanned her face, pouting. Bibi's heart skipped a beat. _Oh no_, she thought_, she's cute._ "At least I don't have that confusing me anymore though. How am I going to tell Mother? Ooh, Father will _not_ like this. What happens if a fairy crosses over?"

"I think there's a curse out here. Someone said something about a certain spell that pushes Imp magic into a fairy and drives them crazy." Lody blinked, mouth a small 'o'. "That, or you get pushed back over to your side." She shrugged. "Depends on who you ask."

"I don't think I want to ask now." Lody squeaked. Bibi hummed in agreement, ears twitching.

"Uh oh." She looked back, scanning the trees anxiously. "I have to go."

"Everything OK?"

"Mama is going to kill me. Um…" She looked back. Lody smiled, extending her hand. Bibi hesitated, taking it when Lody wiggled her fingers encouragingly. "Thank you." Bibi said. "For… not freaking out or… well, you seem so _nice_."

"Um… thanks? Why do you sound surprised?"

"No! I meant… fairies, they… they hate imps and Grah and that, they were… I mean, you… oh, please strike me down." Lody marvelled at this floundering imp before her and found herself giggling.

"Well, thank you for not destroying me. But can I have my hand back?" Bibi looked down and practically threw Lody's hand back at her in her panic. "Aw, you are adorable. Shall we meet up tomorrow? On the third late shift?"

"OK." Bibi said, not sure why her mouth was speaking against her.

"Bibi!" The call echoed through the woods now. Lody heard that time.

"How keen _is_ an imp's hearing?"

"Bibi!" Closer still.

"Tomorrow." Bibi found herself saying. "It… was nice to meet you."

"You too." Lody beamed. "Now go!" Bibi blushed and took off. That fairy was going to be the death of her and she had only known her for five minutes.

She found her mother talking to a small group of dryads, picking at her lip irritably.

"Mama." Isa whipped round.

"Bibi! By the moon, where have ya been? Thank you." She said over her shoulder to the dryads. They tittered gleefully and disappeared. Isa set down her lantern and held her arms out. "We've been worried sick, ya stupid thing, come here." Bibi smiled, sweeping into her mother's hug. Isa squished her cheek against her daughter's hair. "If ya ever do this again, I'm gonna kill ya."

"Aw, ever the loving mother." Isa tightened her hold, Bibi felt some of her ribs click. "OK, OK, you win!" Isa set her down, recovering her lantern, keeping a firm hold on her daughter's arm. She stared at her, awaiting answers. "Um… I have a confession."

"Hide the body kind of confession or take out the witnesses kind?"

"What? No!" Bibi shook her head. "Mama, no!"

"Mama, yes."

"No, it's… um… OK, so you know how some things are out of our control?"

"Mmm…"

"Why are you looking at me like that?"

"No reason. Continue."

"Well, my, uh… I've got a new mark, but… it's-"

"Show me." Isa prompted, letting her arm go. Bibi bit her lower lip. "I'm not gonna tease you, I promise. That's ya Papi's department." So Bibi showed her, heart pounding in her ears. Isa peered at it curiously, lifting the lantern up to inspect it. "When?"

"Three quarters ago."

"Where?"

"By the lake." Bibi pointed. Isa nodded, not following her point. "Mama, I… I crossed." Isa tensed then, eyes rolling up to fix on her daughter's face sternly. "I'm sorry, but… I needed to know."

"Ya could've asked me!" She said fiercely. "They'd've killed ya over there!"

"That's the thing, Mama. They didn't. Because they knew you." Whatever Isa had been going to say died on her tongue. Her anger melted away and she withdrew, tapping her fingers on her chin, eyes scanning the ground. "What happened, Mama? No-one would tell me, but they all seemed…" _Scared_. The word, unspoken, fell to the leafy mush under their feet.

"Did you find the fairy?"

"Wh-?"

"The fairy." She indicated the mark. "Did you find her?" Bibi nodded. "Well? What happened? How did she react? Did the marks light?"

"Yes, they did." Isa nodded, having expected as much. Feeling her question was being ignored, Bibi sighed. "Her name is Lody. She sings."

"What did you think of her?"

"She seems… nice." Bibi said distractedly, feeling the heat rise in her cheeks again. Isa smiled at this, but said no more on the subject.

"Come on. Let's get you home."

"I'm meeting her tomorrow."

"At the border?"

"My side of it. And her on her side." Isa nodded, swapping hands with the lantern. Bibi fell in step beside her. "Are you mad I crossed?"

"I mad ya didn't tell me."

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to cause any trouble."

"Bit late now, Bibi."

* * *

**Next chapter might be a while as not quite finished with it yet! (I was working on future ones, don't judge me!) **


	6. Chapter 6

**To Vanilla- I call them by their original ship name, the not-shortened version of their names- Melsie! I've got their normal story going as well, but I wanted to get this one up and running too! (The other one is called When Disasters Meet). And I have two ways to plan out stories- the main one I do is write the dialogue first, just the dialogue. I add in all the details later. OR I've got this roll of wallpaper lining, for bigger stories. I split it into sections- characters (main, middle and background), to settings, villains, main side and twisty plots and how the characters interact with each other and all that sort of thing. Whichever one I do, I've got some people to bounce it off as well, they let me know what they think and I go from there! The best start you can do is just whatever is in your head! It doesn't have to be in any particular order, just write! You can revise it as many times as you want, just keep at it! **

* * *

When Bibi arrived at the border the next day, she found Lody already there. She was sat just on her side, weaving flowers together and singing quietly to herself. Bibi stopped behind a tree, listening to the song for a moment. She did not understand the words, but the lilt was relaxing, the lyrics were soft and settled her nerves. Distantly, she wondered if Lody was singing to calm herself, but the music steeled Bibi's resolution and she stepped out.

Lody looked up at the movement, beaming.

"You came!" She jumped to her feet, flowers tumbling from her lap.

"You didn't think I would?"

"I… was a little worried. My luck doesn't often run very nicely, so…" Lody hunched her shoulders, smiling sheepishly. "Were you in trouble for crossing?"

"Um… Mama and Papi gave me a massive lecture." Bibi rubbed the back of her neck, pouting. "Mama didn't say why the Fae are scared of her though." Lody pressed her lips together, shifting nervously. "I take it you won't tell me either?"

"I… I can't. It's… not the easiest thing to talk about."

"Does… does whatever happened with Mama affect… this?" Bibi motioned at them. Lody shook her head, offering a serene smile.

"I don't want it to. You're the first person I've met who doesn't talk to me like I'm stupid. And, you know, loving those arms." Lody giggled as Bibi flushed crimson and looked down at her feet. Lody took this distraction to eye up her arms- strong, well-muscled. When Bibi's face looked ready to go up in smoke, Lody changed the subject with a laugh. "I brought food!" She clapped once, grinning. She turned quickly, the skirts of her dress twirling in pink and white. She presented a small hamper. Bibi lifted the cloth on top, peering curiously inside.

"Um, this isn't the kind of fairy food that makes me a prisoner, is it?"

"Oh no, no. We have special recipes for that sort of thing."

"Oh. I was always told that _any_ food from a fairy meant you had to stay forever."

"That's just what we want you to think." Lody shrugged a shoulder. She passed Bibi the hamper, smoothing her skirts behind her as she sat back down. Bibi hesitated for a moment. Lody held her hands up for the hamper and Bibi sat. "I didn't pack much, sorry, I didn't want my father becoming suspicious." She sighed. "He's a bit…" She floundered for the words for a moment, eventually setting on, "strict." Bibi figured that wasn't the entirety of it, but didn't feel it was best to pry. "What about you? Do your parents know you're here?"

"Yes. It's… kind of hard to keep secrets in my house." Bibi smiled, scratched her chin. "Mama and Papi don't push if we're hiding something, but they always know anyway. And there's always Char, he likes to pester."

"Char?" Lody tipped her head to one side. Bibi nodded, accepting a slice of pie. She told Lody about her baby brother, her little sister. She came up with a few anecdotes, splintering from one story to another without finishing the first. Lody didn't mind, she thought the rambling was adorably insane. Compared to straight-forward, composed Fae stories, Imp stories were… warmer. More personal. "And then Char thought it would be a good idea to put the snake in the bath. He wanted to keep it as a pet, but Mama _hates_ snakes. I've not heard her scream like that before, but," she shook her head, laughing softly, "Char learned his lesson."

"What happened to the snake?"

"Papi took it back into the forest. Mama won't touch them."

"My mum hates mushrooms. I don't know why, really, but every time we come across some, she runs in the other direction."

"Wait, I thought fairies used mushrooms to make those fairy circle things?"

"We do. Well, depends on your talent. Mum and I have musical talents, my father is a high-ranking member of the Council. To make the fairy circles, a fairy will either have to cast an extremely powerful spell _or_ be one of Master Talents."

"Master Talents?"

"Yes, um… medical, logical, warrior aaanndd…" She wrinkled her nose in thought. "And the royals. But that's a _whooooole_ different thing."

"So, each talent has a different rank?" Bibi puzzled. Lody nodded, unwrapping a small bundle of berries. "That's weird." Bibi told her. Lody nodded again, offering a berry. Bibi examined them. "I've not seen these before."

"That's because they can only grow in Fae lands. They're Pri berries."

"Pri?"

"Yup. They're really sweet. Try one."

"If they only grow in Fae lands, would that make them poisonous to Imps?"

"Ooh, I don't know." Lody moved the bundle away, studying them closely. "Best not risk it. Would be a rubbish first date." Warmth turned Bibi's cheeks rosy and she smiled down at the last of her pie. "So, if Imps don't have talents, what do you have? Wait, that sounded a bit harsh." She gave a nervous laugh. "I mean, you're not _un_talented, but you're not- you know what I mean, I'll shut up now." Bibi was trying not to laugh. Lody rolled her hand and Bibi answered her ramble.

"We're all born into a nature. It all depends on heritage and stuff, different coloured marks for different natures." Lody nodded. "So, I'm water, like Mama. Char is fire, like Papi. Okia is earth, she got that from literally everyone else in our family. Mama was the only water Imp in a family of earth Imps. Papi's mother was an earth Imp too."

"I have a question."

"Mm?"

"Fire and water, that's out of Correspondence, right? We have something similar over here, but not with natures- it's with talent ranks." Bibi inclined her head, encouraging her to continue. "So, if you don't mind me asking, how do you and your siblings exist? I thought- well…" She trailed off, pulling a face.

"I don't know. We've asked for years, but Mama and Papi won't tell us. I suspect they know how, but they won't share."

"Rude."

"I know right?" Bibi ate the last of her pie with her fingers. Lody looked amused, popping a Pri berry in her mouth. "What made you choose singing as a talent?"

"Mum told me I was always singing as a child. My father wanted me to follow in his footsteps. Well, he wanted a son, actually, because he would have been more likely to take up Father's mantle. But he got me. And I sing." Her expression was tight. "Singing doesn't help run Councils." She looked Bibi in the eye, tipping her chin up defiantly. "So I've decided I'm going to be the most powerful, singing talent fairy ever and I'm going to show his sexist, uppity snoot what's what."

"Um, snoot?"

"Yes. Snoot."

"What's a snoot?"

"By the sun," Lody laughed, "a snoot is… well, it's… you know, something you call someone who's being irritating or…"

"Oh, like butthead."

"_Butthead_?"

"It's better than snoot!"

"No it's not!"

"Butthead is _devastating_." Bibi protested. "_Snoot_ is like _nose_."

"No, that's snout!"

"I know that, but that's what it reminds me of!" Bibi stuck her tongue out. Lody mimicked but got the giggles seconds later. "Anyway, your dad sounds like a _butthead_." The fairy rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.

"Yes, he does." She shifted, uncrossing her legs. She stuck her feet out before her, stretching her legs, pointing her toes. She shoved a couple more berries in her mouth. "What do Imps do for fun?"

"Depends on the Imp."

"OK, what do _you_ like to do?"

"We go round to see Ward quite often; he's one of our neighbours, makes the best tea. I'll see if I can bring you some." Lody smiled politely. Bibi hummed indecisively for a moment. "There's not a lot to do in our village. We're, um, we're an Exiled village." Lody blinked in surprise.

"Exiled? Why?"

"Well, Mama and Papi were exiled for being Marked with each other. Me, Okia and Char were born Exiled." Bibi pressed her lips together. Lody squished a berry between her finger and thumb.

"For falling in love?" She asked, brow furrowed.

"Yep."

"Huh. How… cruel." Lody wiped her hand on the grass, picking up her abandoned floral project. She began weaving again. "Tell me more about your family." Bibi picked through the hamper, recognising an apple and nabbing that.

She told Lody about her parents, told her stories she had heard about their family and friends, Imps Bibi had never met and probably never will- Aunt Pip with her infamous pies; Uncle Erseus, Isa's twin brother, one of the most powerful earth imps Isa knew; Nana Aly, whose cooking was supposedly to die _for_ and Nana Sica whose cooking you would die _from_.

She spoke of their village, about Ward and Ferd and Crazy Lady and Oti and the rest. She told stories of Char at three winters old running out of the house completely starkers with Isa rushing out behind him with a towel and Ward cackling unhelpfully on his doorstep. She described Okia's love for reading and how she had read every book they could get their hands on, except their Exiled library was for their education rather than entertainment, to make sure they knew their place; how she went to Crazy Lady for more stories and wrote them up for everyone. She explained her mother's artistic side, her father's inventive nature and modifications he had made to the village when the Guard weren't looking. Ward's tea and abundant knowledge on most things and his insistence that rocks had sentience- his favourite was Ory, a lump of sandstone. "Pretty sure Papi has a thing for Ferd, Mama likes to tease him about it."

"Even though they're married?"

"Oh, it's a running joke with them." Bibi waved it off, clearing her throat. Lody offered her a crystal flask. "Fancy."

"It's just water." Lody said, confused. Bibi took it gratefully. Lody looked up at the sky, frowning. "I have to go in a bit. Father will expect me home, _studying_." She grimaced. Bibi handed the flask back, trying not to look too annoyed. "I'm glad we met up, but I've got so many questions about Imps."

"I've got many about fairies."

"Well, this fairy can tell you she'd like to meet up again. Not tomorrow though, Father is off from his Council duties."

"After that then. Same time?"

"Here." Lody confirmed, smiling. "Thank you for crossing the border. You're far more interesting than anyone this side."

"I don't know if I should be complimented or worried."

"Neither do I." Lody twirled her hair around her finger, looking behind her. Bibi stood, brushing her hands on her trousers. She offered Lody her hand and helped her up. "I'll find out if Pri berries are poisonous to Imps; you've not _lived_ until you've stuffed your face with as many as you can. They make your tongue go green."

"Green?" Lody stuck her tongue out. It _was_ a little bit green. "Oh, green."

"And if you have too many in your mouth and start drooling, it makes that green too!"

"Very nice."

"I know you're being sarcastic, but you're not putting me off my Pri berries."

"I wouldn't dream of it." Lody beamed at her. She stood on her toes and kissed Bibi's cheek.

"Until next time then. You're bringing food."

"Uh… yeah, OK. I can food." Bibi stammered, hand on her cheek. Her face felt warm. Lody smiled sweetly, gathering her hamper. She spread her wings, startling Bibi as they gleamed with iridescence, sparkling in the setting sun. She waved and took off. Within seconds, she was gone. Bibi stayed where she was, staring after her, hand still on her cheek. "I can food." She repeated. "I can _food_. By the moon, Okia would _kill_ me."

* * *

"Soooo, how did it go?" Nidas grinned slyly. He was sat on the floor, clearly having been waiting for her to return, but pretending he hadn't been by surrounding himself with blueprints. Bibi felt her face flood with heat once more and Nidas laughed. "Aw, Bibi! What's she like, tell me more!"

"Oy!" A paintbrush smacked him in the back of the head. He turned and glared at his wife. "Leave her alone, she'll tell us if she wants ta."

"Nooo, I need to know now!" Nidas's head snapped back round and he fixed a frown on Bibi. "_Please_ tell me you're seeing her again." Bibi nodded, wringing her hands. Nidas beamed. "That's my girl! Break the rules!"

"Bibi's got a _giirrrllllfrrieeend_!" Char burst seemingly out of nowhere, singing at the top of his lungs. "Bibi's got a girlfriend, Bibi's got a girlfriend!" He scampered up to his sister, grinning cheekily. "You got a girlfriend!"

"She's not my girlfriend." Bibi protested weakly.

"Na-uh, you got the Mark! You got a girlfriend! Mama, Bibi's got a girlfriend!" He looked at his mother over his shoulder, pointing accusingly at his sister. Bibi hid her face in her hands, counting to ten quietly.

"Come here, ya little pain." Isa said, just a little bemusement creeping into her tone. Char hurried to his mother and she scooped him up, playfully tweaking his nose. "Just like ya Papi- cause trouble, burn things 'n' more trouble."

"I make things too." Nidas pouted.

"Things that burn."

"No, not always!"

"Oh, yeah, my bad. They blow up on occasion too." She smiled sweetly.

"I'm going off you." He muttered, hunching his shoulders. Isa pouted sarcastically, blowing him a kiss. Nidas mimed throwing it away and she gaped at him.

"Char," she said, "get him." Her son burst with wicked laughter, kicking his legs to get down. He sprinted straight at his father, who simply sat and watched him advanced. Char tackled him, Nidas 'fell' backwards.

"Aw, no, he's got me. Death awaits, I can feel myself slipping away…" Nidas lay the back of his hand on his forehead, in the throes of 'dying'. Char sat on his chest, giggling. "So much to live for… my time… slipping away…"

"You already said that." Bibi pointed out. Nidas glared at her for a split second and went back to 'dying' in 'agony'. He gasped and choked and waxed lyrical about his unfinished life and missed chances and then he was 'gone'. Char leaned forward, scrutinising his face carefully. He patted his father's cheek, pinched his nose.

"Drama queen." He decided. Nidas's façade crumbled and he cracked up. Isa was snickering to the side, Bibi rolled her eyes. "Mama, he not dead!"

"I can see that, Char!"

"He put biscuit in Drama Jar!"

"He _should_ put a biscuit in the Drama Jar," Isa agreed, raising a brow at Nidas, smirking, "yes, he should." Nidas tucked his hands under Char's arms, lifting him up over his head. Char squealed delightedly, holding his arms out as he 'flew'. Isa cast her eyes heavenward and retreated into her room, shaking her head. Nidas watched her go, grinning wickedly once she was gone. He swayed Char to one side, then the next, lowering him a little to throw him up in the air, making 'whoosh!' noises each time he did. Char laughed and whooped with each up and down, kicking his legs.

"Again, again!" He demanded gleefully. "Whoosh!"

Bibi left them to it. She found Okia sat on her bed, scribbling in her handmade notebook.

"How'd it go?" Okia asked without looking up.

"OK."

"Just OK?"

"I'm seeing her again."

"Good for you." She crossed something out, sighing. "How do you spell 'confrontation'?"

"Uh…" Bibi ran it over in her head before slowly spelling it aloud. "I think." She added.

"Looks close enough. Thanks, Bibi."

"Bibi!" Isa called from the other room. Bibi turned and stuck her head back out. Nidas was on his feet now, still swinging and throwing Char about, whisking him around with appropriate sound effects. Isa stood to one side, watching them. She smiled when she saw her daughter, holding up two buckets.

"It's not my turn."

"Okia's legs are hurtin' her, so yes, it is your turn."

"OK, but she has to do it twice when she's better."

"Deal!" Okia called from behind her. Bibi took the buckets from her mother, ducked Char 'flying' past and ventured out. She waved at Ward on the way out.

"Heard you had a date today!"

"_How_?"

"Ory told me!" He smiled simply. Bibi nodded- _yeah, sure, the sandstone told you_. "How'd it go? Going to see them again? Who was it?"

"Um…" Bibi dithered for a moment. "Her name is Lody." She decided that was the safest option. "I'm seeing her again after tomorrow."

"Aww. You grow up so fast." Ward pouted, proud tears glistening in his eyes. "Tell her I said hello! She's more than welcome to come for tea!"

"Um, yeah, I'll let her know. Thanks, Ward!"

"Anytime, mija!" He waved her on and she made it to the well without any further distractions.

She was filling the second bucket when a hand gripped her arm. She yelped, dropping the bucket on her foot. Crazy Lady shoved her face in hers, grinning a little too widely.

"Oh, h-hi." Bibi smiled, silently demanding her heart to quieten. She gently removed Crazy Lady's hand, stooping to retrieve her bucket. Her foot throbbed, but she did her best to ignore it.

"I know where you went." Crazy Lady whispered, still smiling. Bibi looked into her eyes, biting her lip. "You be careful with that Fae, little one-" _did Crazy Lady ever blink? _"-you can't trust the Fae. They'll have your head sooner than they'll have your heart. Especially with what your mother did." Ice squirmed down Bibi's spine. She snatched up the buckets, one full, one empty. Crazy Lady's markings glowed softly. She took a step back, tipping her head to one side. _No she didn't blink_. That too-wide smile remained. She began to sing, in a slow, hoarse fashion- "They'll take your head… before they take your heart… they'll take your head… before… they take… your heart…"

Bibi did the only sensible thing she could. She dropped everything and ran.

She ran, straight home. Ward called out to her, but she kept going. Isa was still standing where Bibi had last seen her, still watching her husband spin around with Char. Bibi crashed right into her, clinging to her and hiding her face in her shoulder.

"Whoa, whoa, what's wrong?" Isa hugged her back, confused, one hand gently running through her hair. Her daughter trembled. The door opened behind them.

"Is everything alright?" Ward asked.

"I… I don't know. Bibi?"

"Mija, what's happened?" Nidas joined the hug, Char balanced on his hip. The boy wiggled in a gap and wrapped his arms around Bibi's head, squishing his cheek on her hair.

"I saw her talking to Crazy Lady." Ward said quietly.

"Oh." Isa said. "Bibi, it's alright." She rubbed circles into her daughter's back. "You're alright, Crazy Lady has that effect on people, ya know that. Whatever she said, ya can just ignore it."

"She knows about Lody." Bibi croaked, eyes stinging. She squeezed them shut. Isa held her more tightly. Char let go of Bibi's head and was set down, holding onto her legs instead. Nidas's warmth disappeared from the hug and the door opened and closed. Ward threw his arms around them instead, pressing a kiss to Bibi's head.

"Crazy Lady told me my rocks are just rocks! Like, honestly, what nonsense! Ory isn't just a _rock_!"

"Of course not." Isa agreed. "He's sandstone."

"Exactly! They've the most personality of all the rocks I've got!"

"I'm sure they do, Ward."


	7. Chapter 7

**To Vanilla- Thank you! I'm not so sure about this chapter, I can't get it right no matter what I try! But I'm glad I could help! I used to do index cards, but I kept losing them so, yeah :P And none of your guesses are right, I'm afraid! That doesn't come in until later! Again, I have no idea what I can do with this chapter- I wanted to write more Melsie, but my brain hurts and I need the story to move along but I need to develop them more and I'm tttiiiirrreeeddd.**

* * *

Bibi arrived at the border first. She didn't have a hamper like Lody's, but Ward had given her a clean blanket that doubled as something to sit on. She set everything up, just a skin of water, some fruit, half a dozen biscuits and some leftover cake. Nidas had insisted she take it- he seemed more excited for the date than Bibi was. Isa sent him over to Ward's to calm down, much to Ward's pleasure. Char told Bibi to take the flowers he had picked that morning- except, in his delight, however, he set them on fire.

"Oops!" He said, wide-eyed at the charred remains. "Want one?" He offered them anyway. Bibi didn't have the heart to turn him down. She carried the blackened flowers to the border as carefully as she could. Some of them crumbled into nothing, another smeared her hand with a fine coating of ash. She had one left by the time she got to the meeting point. She put the husk down carefully on the blanket, crossing her legs as she sat.

The sunlight rippled through the leaves overhead, a cool breeze tickled her arms and face. Birds chirped and sang, rustling amongst the branches. She pushed the toes of her boots into the dirt, pushing gently at twigs, moss and leafy mush. A ladybug rested on her foot, taking flight again in an instant.

Half a shift passed.

Bibi had grown restless in this time and was hopping about, walking around the trees. She drew in the dirt with fallen twigs. She collected pinecones and found some interesting shaped leaves amongst the tree roots. She arranged these into concentric circles, swapping bits about. Soon enough, that was boring too. Bibi continued walking around. She found a caterpillar wiggling on a leaf of a bush. She watched its progress along a branch and into the foliage until her legs cramped.

She sighed, standing and stretching her arms overhead. Looking up at the sky, she saw the shift was nearly complete. She looked back to the blanket. The charcoaled flower was just a pile of ash now. Her pinecone-leafy circles had been disturbed by the breeze, a robin sat on one of the pinecones. It watched her, cocking its head this way and that. Bibi stuck her tongue out at it and it chirped, spreading its wings. She followed its ascent until it disappeared into the trees.

A feeling had begun in her stomach when she first clocked the caterpillar, but she had tried to ignore it. Now, it was nibbling through her chest.

Lody wasn't coming.

Another look at the sky. She would wait a little while longer.

Biting her thumbnail, Bibi sat back down. She set her back against the trunk of the nearest tree, a twig in her hand. She twisted it between her fingers, humming distractedly. A butterfly flapped about her head. She lifted her hand carefully, and it alighted on her twig. Blue and purple patterns adorned its wings.

She wasn't sure how long she watched that butterfly. At some point, a gentle buzzing sound filled her ears. She looked up. A sunset orange-pink orb weaved its way over, rustling leaves as it passed in its haste. It landed on the blanket, glowing brightly. Seconds later, Lody stood there, doubling over to catch her breath, hands on her knees. The butterfly flapped away.

"Whoa, you OK?" Bibi stood, reaching out. Her hands fell on Lody's shoulders.

"I'm… sorry… I'm late…" Lody wheezed. Her wings drooped, her hair was a mess. Her lilac dress was dishevelled and the skirt rumpled with smudges of dirt. Lody gripped Bibi's forearms, straightening. She pointed at herself, gasping, motioned at something behind her. Her mouth moved, but no words came out.

Bibi helped her sit down, pressing the skin of water in her hand. She guzzled the liquid, choking as it went down her airway. Bibi flicked her fingers, dispelling the blockage. Lody inhaled deeply, taking small sips instead. She rested her head on Bibi's shoulder as she handed the skin back, her breathing evening out. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry I'm so late, I… everyone's on edge since you crossed and… and security has… _doubled_, my father… he didn't want me leaving the house… I was… the Guard spotted me trying to sneak out… but I got away. Had to go the long way though." She motioned, drawing a wide semi-circle at parts of the forest Bibi couldn't see.

"Are you hurt?" She asked. Lody shook her head, wiping at her face.

"I was so worried you wouldn't be here." She looked up, finally meeting Bibi's eyes. Her sky blue gaze melted Bibi's witty retort and she flushed.

"Saw a caterpillar." She mumbled. "And… pinecones." She picked one up, dropping it in Lody's lap. She caught it, stunned.

Lody ran her thumb over the ridges, a smile slowly dawning.

"Time well spent." She teased. "Is that cake?" Bibi nodded, not trusting herself to speak. She was mentally kicking herself in the face. First the 'I can food' and now _pinecones_? By the moon, _why_ was Lody so happy to see her?

She cut the leftover cake in two. Lody ate with her fingers, taking big bites and smearing topping over her cheeks. Bibi picked at hers, squishing each bit of cake into a ball and eating it that way. If Lody thought anything was off, she didn't make a mention of it. Bibi figured it was the best way not to say something stupid.

Instead, she simply waited for Lody to relax a little, to regain some of her energy, waited for her to start the conversation instead. Lody polished off the last of her cake, wiping at the mess on her face with her fingers. She looked around bemusedly, humming to herself in a way that didn't help Bibi's thoughts or heartrate settle down. "Oh." She said, eyes widening a fraction. "I'm on your side."

"Say what?" Bibi looked up. In her bid to help Lody sit, get her fed and watered, she hadn't noticed that she had crossed the border. It was three feet away, not far, not noticeable, not at first.

"What did you say would happen if a fairy crossed?"

"Um… well, you… you'd either get pushed back or… or would go mad." She furrowed her brow, examining Lody carefully. "You didn't get pushed…"

"And I don't _think_ I've gone mad. Not anymore than usual."

"And there wasn't a warning thing- not like when I crossed to your side."

"How strange." Lody considered the border, sighing. "That's a shame, I'm quite comfortable where I am." She still sat with her head on Bibi's shoulder. Bibi didn't mind, but now they had realised the fiasco…

Sensing her unease, Lody smiled at her, a little sadly. "I'll move back to my side. Just to be on the safe side." Bibi nodded, biting the inside of her cheek to stop a protest. When Lody moved away, her stomach twisted a little. No warnings were fired, there was no ripple of magic, as Lody returned to her side. The only difference was a little extra colour shimmering over her wings.

"You OK?"

"Yes, I think so." She spread her wings, examining them carefully over her shoulder. Bibi admired the swirls of iridescence, the sparkling diamonds interwoven in the pattern; they seemed to glitter in the sunlight dappling through the tree tops. "Oh, I'm sorry I was so late. I was really looking forward to meeting you today and most of our time is gone." She pouted.

"It's OK. I'm just… worried you risked the Fae Guard catching you, or your father being mad."

"Oh, he's always mad." Lody muttered. She folded her wings neatly against her back and sat down. "If it's not Council-related, he shows no emotion. Not unless you count complete and utter disdain for everything and everyone to cross his path." She pouted, plonking her chin on her fist, her elbow on her knee. "I wish there was a way we could get messages to each other, in case we can't meet up." Bibi started, a pondering smile brightening her eyes. "What?" Lody asked. "What is it?"

"I don't know about messages, but I might know someone that does."

"Really? Who? I mean, not that I'd know, I've never met anyone your side, but- yeah, carry on. Sorry." She rolled her hand in a 'go on' gesture. Bibi considered the biscuit selection, wrinkling her nose when she realised they had gone stale. She picked up an apple instead.

"Papi." She answered. "And Ward. Ward seems to have an answer for _everything_. Literally, _everything_." Lody raised her brows at this, intrigued, but stayed quiet. "And Papi likes inventing things. Before… before he was banished, he and his papi, they used to invent all kinds of things. He tells me about them sometimes, tries to remake them with what he's got to work with. If not, he'll draw up the plans." She smiled wistfully. "We didn't always get bedtime stories with Papi when we were little. He liked explaining his inventions to us, teaching us what he knew. Mama used to tell him off for it, but I don't think she minded, not really."

"What sort of things did he invent then?"

"Well, he and his papi ran a blacksmith. They custom made weapons, but they would… they would see a situation. Say, for example, a wagon wheel fell off. Sure, you could fix the wheel back on and it'd last for a little longer, _but_… Papi and Abuelo, they would look at it and they would come up with a dozen different ways to make the cart stronger, the wheel stay on, the axles to withstand journeys longer than anything anyone else could come up with... and I'm pretty sure Papi liked to work in things that were… mildly explosive."

"That's fire imps for you." Lody shrugged, laughing. "So, do you think he _could_ invent something for messages then?"

"It's worth an ask." Bibi nodded. "He said he also invented a… oh, what did he call it?" Bibi rubbed at her chin, racking her brain. "It was some stupid name he came up with, but it was… this musical instrument, but rather than playing like a regular instrument, you had to… be honest with it? And it would play so beautifully. Mama told us this one, she said she's not heard music like it before or ever since. I honestly can't think what he called it. He also had it so you could rig it with sparkles and fire and stuff once you'd finished playing."

"I don't know what it is, but I want one?" Lody wrinkled her nose. "Is that safe?"

"Probably not." Bibi rocked her head side to side and Lody smiled.

"Your family sounds like fun."

"They're mad, I'm telling you now."

"That's why they sound like fun." She shifted, crossing her legs. "Mum's lovely, we do our music together, she helps me practise my spellcasting and we make dresses together." She plucked at her skirts. "We sell these, but what we do- and don't say I said this- is we can weave or sew charms into the clothing." She showed Bibi the hem of her skirt. To Bibi, it looked like a squiggly line that looped and curved with reckless abandon. "Sometimes we get requests for charms that bring good luck or protection charms, sometimes they're just simply to make the clothes last a little longer. We can even sew charms into baby clothing, help clean it, make it grow with the baby until the charm wears off."

"How long does that take?"

"Depending on the charm and the size of the clothes- anywhere between one and six moons."

"But… how do you transfer your spells into sewing?"

"Um… it's… OK, a lot of our spells _do_ require some form of music. Or dance. Generally dance. But some spells, it was just too complicated, it was too time-consuming. If you missed a step, the spell could drastically backfire. So, we came up with a new way of spellcasting. Imagine you were drawing a line between each step you took for the spell's dance." Bibi nodded. "We translated that into what we now call Old Fae Tongue. There's a modernised version of it that still works, combined with wand motions and sometimes rune stones or gems or even mushrooms, but those are for more _advanced_ spells my mother insists I'm not ready for." She made a face. "Don't tell her, but I've actually tried a few of those spells." She smiled proudly.

"How'd they turn out?"

"Rather well actually! I didn't kill myself for starters! And the snail turned purple instead of pink. You can make all the faces you want, colour-changing is very important our side."

"_Why_?"

"Different colours and object combinations are key ingredients in some spells."

"OK?"

"Say I wanted to cast a protection spell for example, something really basic. Beginner's level. There's three things you need- a red maple leaf, a blue aquatic lifeform and a black feather. A leaf for the earth you want to guard, a fish for the waters you want to drink from and a feather, to protect the air around you."

"Seems a bit complicated." Bibi raised a brow. "We just see our nature and use it however we can."

"That's just lazy and uninventive."

"Oh, bite me."

"Ooh, don't go there. My grandfather had a nasty run in with a vampire when he was… twenty or so summers old?" Bibi blinked in surprise. "He thought it was just a nasty legend this village had made up to deter strangers. Turns out, it was real and kind of hungry."

"How'd he get away?"

"He turned the vampire's cloak into garlic."

"Oddly specific spell."

"No, no." Lody laughed. "It _is_ an advanced spell, but it's not necessarily a cloak into garlic. It's something personal, something worn, into something deadly or terrifying for that individual. Like, if I wanted to attack my mum for whatever reason, I'd turn her necklaces into mushrooms."

"I don't think I'd get away with attacking Mama. She does this _look-_"

"Oh, the _you stop that_ look?"

"Sort of. It's more of a _don't make me come over there_ look." Bibi tapped a finger on her chin. "Except Papi likes to challenge that."

"I'm scared to ask."

"You need to see it to… better appreciate it."

"Riiight?" Lody tipped her head to one side, nose scrunching slightly confusedly. _By the moon, she's adorable_, Bibi thought.

A sharp whistle caught in her hearing and she looked over her shoulder. "You OK?" Lody asked. Bibi listened for a moment. The whistle came again, a two-tone signal she knew well.

"Mama's calling me back."

"Again, _how_ _keen is your hearing_?" Lody tried to hear whatever Bibi had, but she could only hear the life within the forest. Bibi's ears twitched, shoulders tensing.

"I have to go." She said quietly.

"Is everything OK?"

"I… don't know." A fourth whistle. Bibi stood. The two-tone whistle was urgent, a warning. "I have to get back." She said. "Meet me here… tomorrow?"

"I'll do my best, usual time?"

"OK." Bibi nodded. "Be careful."

"You too." Lody smiled. Bibi hesitated for a moment, wishing she had something else to say. Lody had to shoo her away to get her moving.

* * *

Bibi sprinted flat out all the way home. She made it to the outskirts of her village when she realised why her mother had called her back. Isa stood with Ward and Ferd, by Ward's doorstep, glaring at the forbidden path. Nidas was sat on the doorstep of their home, Char nestled in his lap and hiding behind his father's arms. Bibi saw Okia at the well, taking her time to fill the buckets just so she could glower at the path for longer.

On the path, the reason why Isa had called her back, a small battalion of Guard. Bibi stopped between Isa and Ward, trying not to look like she had raced back from a date with a fairy. Isa glanced at her, biting her lip. Ward took a step forward, shielding Bibi from view of the Guard.

They filed in, making three lines of twelve at the opening of the village. They blocked the path, they blocked the well, shoving Okia back into the square. They wore bronzed helmets and chest plates, greaves and knee high armoured boots, carried spears and shields, swords hung at their belts.

Okia huffed at them. Isa held her hand out and Okia stomped over to her. Isa kept an arm around each of her daughters, stubbornly clenching her jaw. She tipped her chin up defiantly as one of the Guard stepped forward. He had a purple plume on his helmet, the others had blue.

The Guard said nothing. He didn't look at them, slowly looking around the village as though it were his own. Bibi saw that, under his armour, he was kind of scrawny and pale.

"Mama, what's going on?" She breathed.

"Apparently an Imp snuck over to the Fae side." Isa raised a brow at her. "Not sure."

"Bold claims." Okia muttered, clenching her fists. The ground cracked under her feet. Isa pulled her closer, resting her chin on her head. She shook her head a fraction. Okia sighed, shaking tension from her hands. "Fine."

"Mama-"

"Not now, Bibi."

"But-"

"Not now, Bibi." Isa cut her a warning look. Bibi bowed her head. She didn't regret crossing, she wouldn't change the circumstances. But… the Guard being here, it was _her_ fault. _She _crossed over, _she_ faced the Fae Guard and the Fae Queen, _she_ agreed to meet Lody and _she_ didn't want to stop seeing Lody either. Her hands trembled and she focused on a pebble just between her feet.

Isa watched her carefully. The purple-plumed Guard was too close to speak. She passed a hand through Bibi's hair, staring the Guard down.

"Hello, Isa." He said curtly. He half-turned at the waist, hands behind his back. "Nidas."

"Tavian." Nidas retorted coldly. "Who'd you bribe for the promotion?" Scarlet furiously blotched Tavian's face and he snatched his helmet off, revealing thin, scraggly blond hair and icy blue eyes.

"_I _worked my way up, _Exiled_."

"I'm sure you did." Nidas smirked.

"Remember your _place_." Tavian hissed. His eyes snapped back to Isa. She had been making faces at him, sticking her tongue out, going cross-eyed, blah blah blah-ing. She became completely straight-faced when his attention was back on her, raising his suspicions tenfold. "We've heard rumours of an Imp crossing into Fae Land."

"Good for you." Isa replied lightly. "I also heard a rumour that Ward ate a beetle ta win a bit of limestone."

"Not true." Ward clarified. "It was a millipede for slate."

"I heard that Ferd wore his underwear on his head for a quarter." Okia chimed in. "Just because he can."

"It was a three quarters." Ferd corrected. "I heard-"

"Enough!" Tavian snapped, throwing his hands out to shush them. The trio of adults shared bemused looks. Bibi and Okia were staring at him- _was he serious_? "I do not come under _rumours_, but _allegations_!"

"Then why'd ya say rumours?"

"Be quiet! One of you crossed into Fae Land, _so_ one of you must come with us!"

"Why?" Nidas asked, examining a patch of dirt on the back of his hand. "We're already Exiled, what more can you do?"

"Pray you don't find out." Tavian smiled a twisted smile, his eyes glittered with delight and malice. Isa stepped forward, pushing her daughters behind her simultaneously. She was a little shorter than Tavian, squaring her shoulders, hands on her hips. She stepped right up to him, almost nose to nose. Visible, conscience effort riddled Tavian as he forced himself not to take a step back. He met her gaze, prepared to stare her down.

"Why would one of us cross inta Fae Land?" Isa asked. Her voice was soft, quiet. Ready for ambush.

"Maybe it was you." Tavian sneered. "Finish what you started."

"Maybe you just want another reason ta kick us down. Will it make ya look better, Tavian? Will it get ya more victims- sorry, _followers_? More fame? More money?"

"Doesn't matter what I get from it; you won't ever see _anything_ like it in your _life_." He jabbed her in the chest sharply. Deep crimson flames crackled in Nidas's hair. Char twisted in his arms, hiding his face in his chest.

Isa considered Tavian, expression unreadable. "Stand down, Isa." He advised tauntingly. "You don't want to lose anymore children. Search the village." He told his battalion over his shoulder. He turned back to Isa, opening his mouth to speak. She reacted faster than any of them could compute. She grabbed the back of his neck, yanking him down. She brought her knee up at the same time and there was a sickly _crack_.


	8. Chapter 8

**To Vanilla- thank you! I quite enjoyed writing about the forest (I am practising my scenery writing, in case you hadn't noticed ^_^ ) yes, Tavian is Octavian and both of your theories are really good, but nope! WAIT AND SEE! MWHAHAHA!**

* * *

Tavian screamed, hands flying to his face. Blood gushed from between his fingers and he staggered backwards, doubled over.

The battalion raised their shields, readied their spears. They circled Isa, herding her away from the others.

"Isa!" Nidas called, on his feet. The fire in his hair turned a sickly green.

Tavian straightened, grasping for his sword. Bloody fingers made the handle slippery. It took him several attempts to arm himself, but even then he dropped his blade.

"How about you leave?" Isa suggested calmly. "I can do a lot worse than a broken nose."

"We know." One of the other Guard said. Isa frowned at her. "We came prepared for you, Isa. There's enough of us to take you out, should we need to." Isa blinked. She gave a soft laugh, looking round at the other Guard, as if expecting one of them to jokingly offer up a contradiction. When that didn't come, her amusement burst out into wicked peals of laughter, to the point she was _crying_.

Almost at once, the mood in the villagers changed. They were less defensive, less on edge. They even backed away a little, no longer drawn in by the debacle or held by the Guard. Tavian, with one hand clamped over his rapidly bleeding and swelling nose, swung his sword wildly. Ward snapped his fingers and Tavian yelped, tossing the blade away. The hilt of it smoked, glowing red hot under the leather wrappings.

Isa swept tears away with her fingertips, gradually reigning in her humour.

"Take me out." She snickered. "That's sweet."

"We came to find the border-crosser!" Tavian raged, words slurring behind a stream of blood. "We'll tear this village apart if we have to, we _will_ find them!"

"Nah." Isa grinned. "Ya'll gonna have ta get past me first." The words had hardly left her lips when three Guard threw down their weapons and ran back down the path. Tavian whirled round in shock, spluttering indignantly. Some of the remaining Guard stood fast, some moved back. Isa raised her hands, her marks began to glow, and two more dropped everything and ran.

Tavian turned back in time to get punched in the face again. Except, this time, his hand was in the way, and that didn't fare much better than his nose. He sprawled, clattering in his armour. Isa stomped on his chest and hopped neatly over him. The well exploded. The Guard reacted too slowly. Water hit the sky with the force of a geyser; Isa threw her hands back, as if preparing to leap, and the water roared from its source. It split into two trunks, slamming into the ranks and washing away the sides. Isa sprang forward, thrusting her fists out and the water swirled back on itself. More Guard hit the path, crashing over each other, waterlogged and armour-clad. Tavian struggled to his feet, ducking low and grasping for his sword. Isa lowered a hand to grab him by the scruff of the neck. She flipped her other hand so her palm faced the sky. The water rushed back, scooping up the remaining Guard. She let them wiggle and stab uselessly at her element, her focus on Tavian. She pushed on his armour. He comically spun at the force and her hand slammed into his throat.

"I will-" He began, clawing at her fingers.

"Shut up." Isa finished for him. She no longer looked amused. Her grip tightened and Tavian's feet left the floor. With a flick of her fingers, the trapped Guard was sent after their comrades. The path quickly cleared of them, but she still had Tavian. "No matter how bad you think you are," she said quietly, "_I'm worse_." He gasped for air, scarlet lines criss-crossing the back of her hand. His eyes bulged, his lips were turning blue.

"Isa." Nidas warned. She tucked her other hand in the shoulder of his armour and spun on her heel. She swung him round as if he weighed no more than a twig. She let go and, just for a moment, Tavian seemed to fly.

The noise he made when he hit the floor would play in Bibi's mind for quarters to come. For the space of three heartbeats, she thought he wasn't going to get back up. But he did. Isa washed him out of town too. Judging by his yelping and the volume of steam, the water had not been as cold for him as it had his troops.

The glow of her marks faded. She crossed her arms and scowled. Nidas rose, the first to move, Char balanced on his hip. He touched her shoulder. "You OK?" She nodded, jaw set. Nidas held her gaze, his expression unreadable. A multitude of colours burned atop his head. Not for the first time, Bibi wondered if her parents could mentally communicate.

Eventually, he sighed, kissing her cheek. Char held his hands out, grasping for his mother. His fire was green. Isa took him and he clung to her, wrapping his little limbs around her as best he could. She rubbed his back reassuringly, the green of his fire slowly turning to a mellowed pink.

"Mama?" Bibi finally found her voice. Isa glanced over her shoulder. "How did you-? The well… it's all the way over there." She pointed at the well, which seemed a little stupid in retrospect. Everyone knew where the well was and it hardly classified as a well now; it was more a pile of rubble, but her mother looked at it all the same.

Bibi was not as powerful as her mother, she knew that. Isa had not had the company of other water imps, she was not technically a fully-trained water imp and she was all Bibi had to learn. _But_ her ability to summon her element from the other side of the village, about two hundred paces away, had not been in Bibi's training.

Isa looked down at Bibi. Her face was carefully blank, but there was a hard edge in her eyes, something Bibi had not seen before and would not want to see again. A lump of ice seemed to slide down through her lungs and into her stomach. She felt her fingers tingle; she didn't have to look to know there was frost forming on her hands.

"You'll learn." Isa finally said, but it was not a definite response. Dark blue flames crackled in her father's hair and she realised- there was more to this than anyone was letting on.

"Well," Ward said, clapping his hands, "that was fun. Ferd, my dear, would you be so kind as to fix our well? Those poor rocks are suffering greatly." He shot Isa a sidelong look, gaining a half-hearted, mumbled apology in reply. "I'll make us all some tea, how does that sound?" He beamed at them. "Excellent!" He said, not waiting on answers. "Bibi, Okia, you two can come and help me!"

"Wait…" Nidas grabbed Ward's arm. "You're not going to teach them how to make _your_ tea, are you?"

"No, don't be silly! Bibi can heat the water for me and Okia can carry the tray!" He wiggled his arm free from Nidas's grip and patted his cheek. "Don't worry, little one, I know my promise. You will get the recipe if and when I die."

"If?" Nidas repeated.

"Yes." Ward nodded, pinching Nidas's cheek. "Come along, you two!" He ushered Bibi and Okia away.

Ferd was already repairing the well. Oti stood watch at the path, hands on his hips. Crazy Lady had already slunk back to her home. Only a few more remained in the square, but they respectfully kept their distance.

"Go 'n' help Ward." Isa said, setting Char down. The boy pouted, but didn't protest. He scampered off, calling for Tio Ward loudly. Nidas and Isa watched until he disappeared into Ward's home. Nidas pulled gently on her arm and led her towards their home, just out of sight of the others. "How did he know?" She asked stiffly.

"I don't know." Nidas shook his head. "But they're gone now, we've got a little time to figure out-" He faltered. She held her hands to her face, as if to blow on them for being cold, tears lingering on her lashes.

"I shouldn't've done that." Her voice was barely above a whisper, shaking. "They're only gonna bring more trouble, I shouldn't… I didn't want… but Bibi-" Her voice cracked and she bowed her head. Nidas stepped forward, wrapping her in his arms. She hid her face in his shoulder, fingers curling in the front of his shirt. He said nothing. His words would fall on deaf ears while she was in this state, trembling in his hold, her breath hitching on every inhale.

Instead, he hummed softly, gently tracing circles on her shoulder and back with his fingers.

By the time she had calmed a little, Okia was working her way slowly around the village, intently watching her tray laden with cups and mugs of all shapes and sizes. She was known for tripping over her feet, but Ward insisted she did it, every time, in the hope that one day, she would deliver all the teas before faceplanting. Two teas down, still a long way to go.

Nidas now sat with Isa on the steps of their home. She gripped his hand, her fingers icy between his. "What do we do?" She asked quietly. "They're already at risk of bein' taken away; if Tavian finds out 'bout Bibi 'n' that fairy…"

"He won't." Nidas assured. "We've not let Tavian take them, in all the winters he's been trying, he hasn't got past us. I'm sure we can handle a secret fairy too."

"I wanted ta kill him."

"I know."

"It'd be so much easier if ya let me."

"They'd have you executed, Isa."

"I know, I know…" She sighed. "But then ya'd have less Tavian ta deal with."

"Oh, there's always some idiot to out-idiot another idiot."

"Sound logic." They fell quiet as Okia approached, her tongue sticking from the corner of her mouth as she concentrated. They took their teas with soft thanks and encouraging smiles. "Go on, mija," Isa sipped her tea, "you can do it." Okia gave a nervous laugh/hum combination and off she went, carefully putting one foot in front of the other. "I don't want ta stop Bibi seein' this fairy, but… I don't know… _how_ are we gonna keep 'em safe, if somethin' does go wrong?"

"It won't."

"But if it _does_." She pressed. "The Guard won't stop at just them, Nidas, they'll go after the whole village 'n'-"

"Ward can take them." Nidas frowned into his mug. "He's a butthead, but… I'd rather he took them than anyone else. Here." He added quickly.

"What if Ward gets captured?" Isa demanded. "What if _everyone's _gone 'n' they've got nowhere ta go?" Nidas sighed, brow furrowing reluctantly. "We'll have ta." She insisted.

"No, no." He shook his head. "No, they… they can't, it's too dangerous."

"More dangerous than bein' taken by the Guard?" She pointed out, temper rising in her tone. Nidas swore under his breath, gulping down mouthfuls of scalding tea. "It's the only other thing they can do." She persisted. "I don't want 'em runnin' about out there," she nodded at the forest, "it's best if they go."

"I don't like it."

"I know ya don't, but what other choice do we have?" Nidas hardly ever lost his cool, and- even less than that- was he angry towards Isa. He glared at her, furious crimson flames snapping and hissing in his hair, along his arms. His hand grew uncomfortably warm in hers, but she didn't let go.

"_We_ will look after them." He said decisively, scowling. "You can come out with all the 'if's and 'but's you want, but they stay with _us_." Isa met his gaze, glare for glare.

"I wish ya'd tell me why, tell me what happened." As usual, he looked away, shaking his head. His fire turned navy and she sighed. They drank their tea in silence. His hand gradually cooled, his grip tight on hers, part apologetic, part reassuring, part stabilising. They watched Okia approach Crazy Lady, the last tea. She got within two feet and tripped. The cup smashed into the side of Crazy Lady's house and Okia threw the tray, yelling obscenities. Nidas _hmmph_'ed, mild amusement cutting through his bitterness.

"You taught her those." He muttered, corner of his mouth tipping up.

"Not on purpose." She defied, sticking her tongue out. "At least, not all of 'em."


	9. Chapter 9

**To Vanilla- it has taken me SO LONG to update this, it sucks! I've been scrapping and rewriting this SO MANY TIMES, but I've got there! Ish. And that's a no to your theory, but the reveal shall happen... next chapter. Maybe. Dun dun duuuhhh. And I love writing Isa/Nidas, they're such a fun, stupid pairing! I literally have notes on possible interactions for them titled 'Two Halves of a Whole Dumbass'**

* * *

"So, what you're saying is that you want me to make you a relatively illegal communication something or other so you can secretly talk to one of the species that has hated imps for longer than recorded history just because we're _faaaaar _better than them?"

"I don't know if that's true-"

"It is, I said it is."

"But yes." Bibi pressed her lips together. Nidas squinted at her suspiciously. "Uh, please." She added. He hummed dubiously, pursing his lips.

"Aaaand _why_ haven't you asked me this sooner?"

"W-what?" Bibi stared at him. Nidas grinned broadly, eyes dancing with mischief, cheeky yellow-orange flames in his hair. Laughter bubbled behind her.

"Nidas, ya dick. Don't be horrible." Isa put an arm around her daughter, blowing a raspberry on her cheek. Bibi recoiled instantly, protesting wordlessly. Isa smiled lopsidedly, messing her hair. "Ta answer ya question, yes he can 'n' he's pretendin' ta be disappointed ya didn't ask him ta do somethin' illegal sooner."

"I live for the illegal life." Nidas confirmed, nodding seriously. Isa reached out and flicked him in the head and he snickered. "Give me a quarter, I'll have them done for you. You can stop looking at me like I'm crazy as well, by the way."

"That's just her general look towards ya."

"No, no," Bibi shook her head, "I genuinely thought you were going to tell me off." Nidas blinked at her. He glanced at his wife, brow raised, and then back to Bibi. A split second later, he cracked up laughing. His humour spread to Bibi, settling her nerves and drawing out giggles of her own.

"Aw, Bibi!" He eventually managed, holding his arms out. "Never, never!" He squished her in a hug, kissed her forehead. "My kids are too awesome to tell off!" He beamed proudly. Isa cleared her throat, glaring at him. Nidas stuck his tongue out at her, rocking from side to side with Bibi still in his hold and laughing.

* * *

"Mama?"

"Yes, Char?"

"I wanna meet Bibi's girlfriend."

"Um…" Isa replied brilliantly, looking to Bibi's scarlet face. "Not yet, Char. She's not allowed over."

"Why?"

"She's a fairy."

"Why?"

"Why are you an imp?" Okia interrupted, smirking. Char wrinkled his nose at her. He smacked a hand on his chest, proudly sitting up straighter.

"'Cos I'm awesome!" He declared, grinning.

"And I'm a troll." Okia rolled her eyes.

"Smell like one." Char shot back.

"Will ya'll just eat ya food?" Isa sighed, pushing Char's bowl closer to him. He giggled and dunked his spoon into the stew. Bibi helped herself to a slice of bread, squishing it in her hand and dipping it into her stew. A tap on her head, she looked up. Nidas grinned at her.

"Shift over." He wiggled between her and Okia, jostling the latter as she hurriedly rescued her bowl. Isa handed him a bowl of stew. They sat around the hearth, their dinner gently simmering in the pot. "So," he said, stealing Bibi's spoon, "what's this about your girlfriend?"

"Nothing!" Bibi spluttered, making grabs for her spoon.

"Wanna meet her!" Char beamed, throwing his hand- and spoon- up. Stew splattered on his head, but his smile didn't falter. Isa was sipping at her meal, flicking her little finger and cleaning his head. "Papi, wanna meet her!"

"Not yet, mijo."

"_Why_?"

"Illegal."

"You said your life illegal!" Char threw his spoon. Okia caught it before it hit her face. Nidas was watching Char carefully.

"Noooo, I said I live for- Isa, your son is incredibly nosy."

"Your son." She replied evenly. Char looked from one to the other, pouting at them both.

"I am favourite!" He insisted. "Spoon!" He held his hand out to Okia, waggling his fingers and grabbing for the utensil.

"You're not the favourite," she said, "I am."

"No, I am!" Nidas butted in, flashing a wonky grin at his wife. "Ain't that right, Isa?"

"No."

"Ouch." He sulked, the kids giggling at his misfortune. Isa smiled sweetly.

"Spoon!" Char repeated. Isa cleared his throat. "Uh, spoon _pleeeeaaasssse_!" Okia returned it, shaking her head. "Mama?"

"Yes, Char?"

"If Bibi's girlfriend not come here, we go see her?"

"Ask Bibi."

"Bibi-"

"No."

"Not let me finish!"

"No." Bibi repeated, crimson and trying to hide in her bowl. Nidas laughed, curling his fingers around the edge of her bowl and gently pushing it down. "Leave a message." She muttered.

"Aww, Bibi, it's OK! You should've seen how flustered your mama got when we first got together."

"Uh, says _you_." Isa said. "You set yaself _on fire, _like, eighty times in the space of a shift."

"Lies, it was _quarter_ and only seventy-two times. Which doesn't count, because I'm perpetually on fire." He pointed at his head, soft yellow flames in his hair.

"I'm not talkin' 'bout ya head, Nidas, I'm talkin' 'bout the rest of ya."

"It's not _my_ fault earth imps don't have fire-proof clothing." He defied. Isa hummed bemusedly. Nidas set his bowl down, scooting closer to her until their knees touched and grinning cheekily.

"Go away." She warned, pressing her spoon under his chin.

"Never. If it's death by spoon, _it's death by spoon_." He ducked his head, kissing her nose. "Bring it on, chica."

"Famous last words."

* * *

"They want to meet _me_?" Lody stared at her, dumbfounded. Bibi nodded, fumbling with a collection of wildflowers. Lody had been trying to teach her how to create a floral headpiece. Emphasis on _trying. _While Bibi squished stems and lost petals and swore profusely at the flowers' refusal to combine, Lody had crafted almost a dozen perfectly woven headpieces. Her only problem was she couldn't decide which to wear, changing them every so often.

Bibi cursed and the flowers fell apart in her hands. Lody poked her arm.

"Yes, they want to meet you. Char especially." She fidgeted restlessly, sifting through her mangled attempts. "He asked if you could visit. I don't think he's quite realised that Guard has increased since Mama-" Bibi froze, eyes widening. "Uuhhhhh, I mean-"

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's _fine_, we're all good-"

"Bibi…" Lody warned, arching a brow. "_What_ happened?" Bibi hesitated, more stems turning to mush in her hands. Lody pursed her lips and Bibi hurriedly explained of Tavian and his Guards' interference in the village, searching for a border-crossing imp and her mother's reaction to them. Lody didn't interrupt, her expression carefully arranged as Bibi talked.

"So, yeah…" Bibi hunched her shoulders, wiping her hands restlessly on her trousers. "More Guard." She could feel the weight of Lody's gaze on the side of her face, choosing to focus on the messy remains of her headpiece attempts. It felt almost an eternity before Lody spoke up.

"Bibi, I would love to meet your siblings, maybe even your father. But your mother…" She trailed off, hesitating. Bibi sighed.

"I still don't know what she did. I don't know why the Fae are so scared of her."

"You said she washed your Guard from your village?" Lody removed her headpiece. Bibi nodded. Lody shook her head, taking up a silent debate with herself. Eventually she scowled. "Bibi, I mean you no upset, you know that. But your mother… she has left a dark spot in the history of Fae. She has abilities we do not speak of, her power is ruthless and she is… she _was_ unrestrained. I'm… I'm sorry, but as annoying as your Guard are, they are doing what they believe is right and… and I agree with them." Lody looked at her, tears splashing onto her cheeks. "I'm sorry, but… if you knew the truth, you- you would understand." She finished quietly. Bibi regarded her for a moment. A part of her felt the need to get angry, to yell and defend her mother- that was her mama! She was mad and temperamental, but also fiercely protective and loving of her children, she would never do anything to hurt or endanger them.

But seeing Lody cry threw her off. Her temper wilted, tightening her voice. A maelstrom swirled inside her- the predicted anger, confusion, some sense of betrayal- what was Isa hiding?

"You still won't tell me?" She asked stiffly, voice a little over a whisper. Lody shook her head again, pressing her lips together. Bibi looked down, her hands in her lap.

"I'm sorry, Bibi. I- I can't." Lody traced her fingers under her eyes, sniffing. "Maybe… maybe you need to ask her. Or… or maybe your father?"

"I- I don't know, they're…" Bibi sighed. "Mama and Papi are always open with us, but there's… there's one thing they won't talk to us about. Something happened with this human, just before they were exiled."

"What?"

"I don't know. Bad, whatever it was. Mama… Papi said Mama was never the same again." Lody began sorting through the floral headpieces distractedly.

"If your Guard came looking for a border-crosser and… and we're still going to meet-?"

"You're like the only moderately sane thing in my life, of course we are."

"Challenge accepted," Lody smiled, reaching across to grip Bibi's hand, "but maybe it's time you _did_ ask them. You're marked with a Fae, after all, some things won't stay hidden for long."

* * *

So Bibi did ask.

She went for the safer option, just after she got home. Nidas was tinkering in his lean-to, humming to himself and picking at a bowl of wild berries. Bibi stood at his shoulder, trying to see what he was working on. Nidas glanced up, smiling and poking her cheek, turning her head away. He tried for a smile, berry juice purpling his teeth.

"That's disgusting." Bibi wrinkled her nose. He swallowed his mouthful.

"Nice though." He nodded at the bowl. "Try some." He stuck his tongue out, eyes sparkling cheekily as she saw that was stained a deep purple too. Bibi took one, finding it rather sweet and quite juicy. "Best berries or what?"

"Bit too sweet for me, Papi."

"Suit yourself." He shoved another handful in his mouth, picking at his project. "How was Lody?"

"I told her about Tavian." Bibi admitted. "Well, I said about Char wanting to meet her, but then about how the Guard had increased." Nidas nodded, fiddling with fine strands of copper. He kept helping himself to berries while Bibi hovered beside him. She had planned to just blurt out her question, but now she could not find the words. It wasn't long until his bowl was empty, but he didn't realise until his fingers scrapped the bottom of it.

"Ooohh," he pouted, "where'd they go?"

"I wonder." Bibi raised a brow at him. He made a face, running his tongue over his teeth. "Papi?"

"Mm?"

"Can I… ask you something?"

"Ooh, is it illegal?"

"Um… no?"

"Boo, go away."

"_Papi_."

"Mmmmm, I _suppose_ so." He checked his bowl again, as if it had miraculously refilled and pouting more when he saw it hadn't. Bibi's gaze fell on his project. It looked like a scroll, made of fabric and interlaced with copper filaments, lined by bits of bronze. She saw another, slightly less finished, on his other side, two pink crystals on the fabric.

Nidas elbowed her. "Yes, they're for you and your girlfriend." He smiled lopsidedly. "What did you wanna ask?" Blurt time.

"Why are the Fae scared of Mama?"

His smile faded. He looked away, drumming his fingers on his project. Dark blue flames simmered in his hair.

"It's… not my place." He said quietly.

"Everyone says that." Bibi frowned. Nidas sighed.

"Bibi… it's… it's not an easy thing to talk about. I'd _rather_ that if you _did_ have to learn about it, it came from one of us, but… we were… not _hoping_ exactly, but we didn't…" He faltered, running his hand over his jaw. "But you _do_ have a Fae girlfriend," he said, more to himself than her, "and the Fae don't know-" He froze, staring at something past her. Cold prickled the back of Bibi's neck and she turned, heart sinking.

Isa stood in the doorway. A tray bearing Leo's lunch shook in her hands. Her markings flickered with a dull blue light. Nidas rose, gently taking the tray with one hand.

"Mama, I-" Nidas glanced back, giving the smallest shake of his head. Bibi bit her lip, staying quiet. Isa gripped Nidas's hand, her marks flickering more incessantly. Nidas bounced the tray on his fingers, a soft ball of fire carrying it to the table. He held Isa's hand in both of his, pressing his lips to her knuckles.

"You're OK," he said softly, "I'm here." She mumbled incoherently, bowing her head. Bibi took a step back- should she leave? She hadn't seen her mother like for quite some time. She remembered giving her space, leaving her with Nidas, winters ago. At the time, she hadn't thought anything of it, too young to understand.

"Can't." Isa croaked.

"I know." Nidas assured, squeezing her hand. Pastel pink flames flickered in his hair. "You don't have to." Isa jolted to retreat, stricken. Nidas didn't let her go, gently pulling her back. "Not here," he said, "he's not here."

"Bibi…"

"She's safe. See?" Nidas smiled over his shoulder at his daughter. "She's not going anywhere." He promised, looking back to his wife. Isa was watching Bibi past him, brow furrowed as if she couldn't quite work out what she was seeing. "Bibi," Nidas prompted without taking his eyes from Isa, "tell her you're here."

"I'm… I'm here, Mama."

"Say you're alright."

"I'm alright."

"See?" Nidas smiled again, kissed Isa's hand. Her other hand came up, shaking, and Nidas took it. "Want to know something? She's not alright." He whispered. "She's half left." Isa blinked at him. His grin broadened mischievously. Bibi felt the mood change in the room instantly. Isa snorted, shaking her head. Her markings stopped flickering and she smiled weakly.

"Idiot." She chided lightly.

"You love me."

"No choice."

"I'm the _best_ choice." He turned her left hand gently, tapping the mark that bound them on the inside of her wrist. "See, _fate_ says I'm the best choice, so _deal_." He stuck his tongue out. Isa stared at him.

"How… how many berries did you eat?" She asked. Nidas turned to Bibi, his tongue so richly purple with berry, it was almost black. Bibi found herself laughing. He yelped as Isa's grip increased suddenly on his hand, but she was smiling. "Those were to _share_."

"I _did_ share. Bibi, did you or did you not have berries?"

"I had _one_."

"See, there. I shared." Isa rolled her eyes. Nidas tutted, taking her face in his hands and peppering kisses over her cheeks, nose, forehead. "Love you, love you, love you, love you." He said between each one, giving her the giggles. He blew a raspberry on her cheek. She caught her hand under his chin, pushing his head away playfully.

"You're disgustin'." She said, wiping at her face.

"Oh, _please_," Nidas rolled his eyes, "you're no better."

"Better than you, but that's not hard."

"I'm beginning to question fate." He muttered, still having his head tipped back. He reached out with his hands, cheekily squishing her face between his palms. "_I love you too, Nidas_." He said in what he thought passed as an imitation of his wife. Isa ducked, darting around him. Bibi noticed she had taken hold of his hand, tucked behind her back.

Isa's smile faltered as she looked at her daughter, returning a moment later, albeit sadly. Bibi wrung her hands.

"Mama, I'm-"

"It's… it's OK, Bibi." Isa nodded. Nidas turned around, looping his arms around her neck from behind. Isa held onto his forearm. "Ya were bound ta ask at some point," Isa continued, "don't get upset over me, I'm… I'm alright now." When Bibi didn't look convinced, Isa's expression softened. She gently pulled away from Nidas, approaching her daughter carefully. Her arms shifted, as if to hug Bibi, but hesitated. Bibi hunched her shoulders.

"Can… can I know?" She asked. Her mother's marks glowed. With a clench of her fists, they dimmed slightly to a barely noticeable simmer. Nidas's hand was warm on the small of her back, she could see his sad smile from the corner of her eye.

"It's OK." He said. Isa looked to his pink fire, drawing in a deep breath. She shook her hands, wiping them on her shirt. "It's OK," Nidas repeated, "it wasn't your fault."

"What wasn't?" Bibi quizzed. Nidas motioned to her- _give her a minute_.

It took a little longer than a minute for Isa to compose herself. She didn't quite look at Bibi as she began to haltingly explain, staring off at something past her shoulder or at the floor. She gripped Nidas's hand the whole time, her anchor to reality, to now. He did not intervene with her story beyond mumbled encouragement or reassurances, laying a kiss on her fingers or her cheek each time she faltered.

Later, Bibi could not recall how long she had stood and listened to her mother. At points, she thought the disturbing recollections would never end, but they did. And now she knew.

Now she knew the truth.

And she wished she didn't.


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm trying to space out updating on this as I'm a little behind on chapters! I need at least another one and a half before I can begin my actual idea, might do a time skip, not sure!**

**And we find out the big secret in this one! _Why are the Fae so scared of Isa? _**

* * *

Ward set a mug before Bibi. The steam curled from her tea, past her despondent face. Her hands shook as they encircled the mug. Ward sat opposite her, sipping his own beverage. They could hear their neighbours coming and going, buckets sloshing on the return from the well, Oti chasing down a giggling Char, the usual debate over something stupid- "I'm telling you, a magpie would _totally_ beat a kingfisher." Char sprinted past. Oti was not alone in trying to capture him, Okia's demands for him to 'stop burning, you butthead!' only enticing more delighted giggling.

Bibi listened to her siblings and Oti's swearing, blinking quickly as tears threatened to fall.

"Did you know?" Her voice shook almost as much as her hands. She wouldn't look at him.

"I did."

"Did… did they ask you not to tell us?"

"It wasn't something we talked about. But it's better that you learnt it from them." He stirred his tea absent-mindedly. "You were not yet born to see how broken your mother was. After everything that happened, it is a miracle she functions as well as she does today."

"She has Papi."

"She does." Ward tapped his spoon on the side of his mug. "She is still your mother."

"But I don't _know_ her."

"You don't know what was _left_ of her." He reached across the table, poking her mug closer to her. "They didn't tell you, to protect you. But Isa didn't tell you because she was afraid you'd think she was a monster."

"She's… she's not, she-"

"How do you expect to convince me if you cannot convince yourself?"

"No, I- it wasn't her fault, she-" Bibi floundered. Her fingers pressed into the warm surface of her mug, the tea sloshing reactively within. "I don't understand."

"I don't expect you to."

"How- how did… how did she even…"

"Breathe. If you panic yourself, you won't ask the questions you want answers to."

"No, no, this makes no sense!" Bibi pushed away from the table, twisting her fingers in her hair. Ward watched her calmly, but she hardly seemed to recall he was there. "There's still something they're not telling me, what aren't they telling me? They missed a huge part of… of… of whatever happened! What had happened _before_? How did she-? How did she get _there_? _Why_ was she there? Why _her_? She never did anything wrong! Right? _Right_?" She demanded, bunching her fists as he sipped his tea. "Ward, by the moon, if you _don't _tell me-"

"You'll what?" He said calmly. "You'll yell at me some more? Stomp your feet? Hold your breath?" He nodded at her mug. "Spill your tea?"

"I'm not-" She glared at her mug and it settled into a violent shiver.

"I thought you liked my tea."

"I do-"

"Then drink it."

"But-"

"Tea first. Scream later."

"I hate you."

"No you don't."

"No, I don't." Bibi sighed, plonking back down into her seat. She sat quietly and fumed, gulping down hot tea as her thoughts rushed. Ward leaned over every so often, refilling her mug. Each time he did, she glowered, but did not protest.

Eventually, the teapot was empty. Ward had finished two teas. She had drunk the rest under his indiscernible gaze. She was fidgeting in her seat. Ward smiled.

"So, how do you feel now?"

"Need a wee."

"Still hate me?"

"Yes, need a wee." She squinted at him. "Are you trying to get me to leave quicker?"

"It's a lesson."

"To leave?"

"To understand."

"Understand what?"

"Imagine the tea is everything your mother suffered. But she couldn't wee."

"You're a weird teacher."

"I'm aware."

"You're effectively saying Papi toilet-trained Mama."

"Yes, I suppose I am." He rested his fingertips on the teapot, moving it ever so slightly to the left. "Do you understand?"

"Sort of. The tea's a weird metaphor for it."

"It is, but it does make you need a wee."

"So you _are_ trying to get me to leave quicker!"

"You're disturbing Kre's nap time."

"Kre?" Bibi repeated. Ward pointed and she looked over her shoulder. On the windowsill, she saw a new rock to his collection.

"She's a rather exquisite piece of rose quartz. Found her last night, on one of my strolls." Bibi looked back at him, brow raised. Ward smiled. "I'm looking for a bit of pegmatite now."

"I don't know what that is."

"And you don't know the whole story, so don't judge your mother too harshly. She has always done her best by you and your siblings."

"I'm sorry."

"Tell Isa that."

"OK. Thanks, Ward."

"No probbles. Now go and wee."

* * *

"Did you ask them?"

"Yeah."

"Did they tell you?" Bibi hung her head. Lody held her hand across the border. "I'm sorry, Bibi. I-"

"Tell me your version." She spoke softly, her hand trembling in Lody's. Her markings shimmered.

"I-"

"Please." Bibi's voice caught. She still wouldn't look at Lody. Cold filtered on the fairy's palm, frost speckling Bibi's fingertips.

"OK." Lody decided. "Sit down." Bibi swayed indecisively. Lody lowered herself into a crouch, tugging on Bibi's hand. They sat as close as they could, the border rippling between them. Lody explained carefully, trying to thaw Bibi' hands in her own. It was a fruitless effort, the chill coating the imp's arms as she listened.

"About… twenty or so winters ago, a remote Fae village sent up a signal. It's the quickest way to communicate with the other fairies and there's a signal for nearly everything. There's red, for a fire. Green, to say a peaceful intervention is required. Blue for help from natural disasters or an epidemic. And black. No-one had used or seen a black signal since the war. No-one has since either." She faltered, finally seeing the tears threatening to spill. Bibi shook her head and Lody continued. "Black is for a threat they cannot handle. Black shows casualties, an attack they cannot fend off and are losing hope and numbers in their attempts to do so."

Lody took a deep breath, sniffing. "Our Guard got to them as quickly as they could, but it was too late. The village… was… the village had been wiped off the map. It was… it was reported that many Guard, many veterans, had never seen anything like it; it did not leave them. Ever. They went mad. Some took their own lives, a feat that we believe dooms their souls. But… they could not live with what they had seen." She stopped again. The air around them tingled with energy, damp on her skin. Frost had formed to just below her elbows, but it was light and powdery on her. On Bibi, it was sharp, crackling as it hardened into ice.

Lody waited for her to nod before speaking. "The village had around four hundred in population. Small, for one of our villages, all families. Lower level talents. Every single one of them… was dead. Their homes had been destroyed from within, the ground was flooded with- with blood. Too much for the earth to soak up." Her voice withered. "They did not find a body intact." She croaked. "The villagers, like their homes, had been destroyed from the inside. The Guard… they f-found thousands of- of pieces, most too badly… _damaged_ to put to any one villager. They found heads still caught in their final moments, some screaming, some crying, some ripped apart beyond recognition. They found small hands clutching at blood-drenched toys or blankets; torsos still clutching what was left of their children. They say the village is haunted now. They say you can still hear the screams."

She tried to rub warmth into her arm, merely swiping the frost away. The day did not seem so bright. The forest was still, eerie in its peace, as if it too were hanging onto her every word, as if it remembered a tragedy within its Fae counterpart. "The Guard expected an invasion of enemy forces," Lody continued, watching a snail creep along a fallen leaf, "but… in the middle of the village, covered head to toe in blood not her own, stood one imp. They say she cursed the Guard when she looked at them; there was nothing in her eyes. No anger, no remorse, no fear. No colour. She pointed at the Guard- they were next. There was nothing they could do."

"But they were saved."

"Yes. They didn't know where he came from, but a fire imp tackled her. The Guard ran. There was no-one left to save but themselves. And now… now it's taught in our schools. It fuels the hatred between us and the imps and it's something they don't want us to ever forget." Lody hesitated. "They call her The Blood-Curse. But… we all know who she is." She looked to Bibi. The imp sat, hugging her knees to her chest. Lody wasn't sure when she had let go of her hand, but the cold remained on her skin.

Bibi exhaled, flexing her fingers. The ice began to splinter, showering her lower legs and feet with frozen shards and bits of snow.

"She wasn't angry." She mumbled. "She does feel remorse. And she was scared. But there was nothing she could do about it."

"How… what do you mean?"

"I didn't get the whole story out of them. There were… there were parts Mama didn't want- _couldn't_ bring herself to talk about. Like, physically _could not_ get the words out. Papi kept her calm, but she…" Bibi looked at her icy hands, holding them out to Lody in case she hadn't yet noticed. "Her connection to our nature is stronger than mine."

"Like with the well?"

"Yes." She shook her right hand, shedding the coldness. On her left, it melted and compiled in a sphere over her palm. Her fingers twisted and wiggled in a slow, mesmerising pattern. "They gave me the short story. Mama and Papi had known each other for a few quarters. They were in hiding with their marks, trying to avoid Exile. But one day, Mama went out to hunt. She didn't come back. A human had taken her."

"A human?"

"Yeah."

"How?"

"He was partnered with a mage, they used restraining magic on her and took her away. She didn't say what they did to her, but… it was… Papi just said 'bad', but…" The water in her hand wavered, spiking and spilling between her fingers. "It changed Mama. Ward said I didn't know what was 'left of her'." Her brow furrowed.

"What was left of her?" Lody repeated, frowning.

"They kept her prisoner for almost a winter. Papi said they only knew she was still alive because his mark hadn't faded." She tapped the greave on her left forearm, on the inside of her wrist, just over where her mark would be. "They didn't see her again until the fairy village." Bibi looked at her. "You said her eyes were colourless?" Lody nodded. "She was full-named, Lody."

"_What_?"

"Yeah." Bibi nodded. Any and all magical creature were raised with the knowledge that their full-name would leave them at the mercy of anyone that knew and used it. Most shortened their names. Some, like Bibi, used a shortened version of a middle name. "The human used Mama's full birth-given name." Lody's eyes widened. "He set her on that village. Those fairies died because of him." She shifted uncomfortably. She dropped the water, curling into as tight a ball as she could. Lody lay a hand on her arm.

"What is it?"

"Mama told me how she did it, how the _human_ _made_ _her_ do it. She said she could see everything that going on, but it was like… it wasn't her?"

"How did she do it?"

"I didn't understand at first, Papi had to explain it to me. Every imp, whatever their nature, has a secret ability. One that's brought out through pain. And Mama found hers." Bibi tucked her head behind her arms, leaving only the top half of her face visible. Her voice was muffled when she spoke. "If a water imp suffers and finds this secret ability… the more they use it, the more it can break their minds."

"What is it?"

"Mama's… Mama's a blood imp. _That's_ how that village was killed. They had their own blood weaponised against them and she couldn't do _anything_ about it."


	11. Chapter 11

**Hey, Vanilla, look! _I lied._**

* * *

Nidas finished the communication Bibi had requested within the quarter, just as he had promised. He called them Proof-Nidas-Is-A-Genius-Scrolls. No-one else did.

"And… they work?"

"I'm hurt, Bibi."

"I meant over distance, Papi."

"Of course they work. And without fire now, too! Aren't you lucky?" He grinned. Bibi forced a smile and he wrinkled his nose at her. "Fine. If you _have_ to have proof." He tapped the scroll, moving his fingertip across the surface. A bright blue line followed his movements and he simply wrote 'hi'. The greeting stayed for a few moments and then the scroll's surface rippled and cleared. The pink crystal embedded in the bronze casing at the top pulsed with a soft light.

Bibi opened her mouth. Nidas held up a finger, shushing her. The scroll's surface rippled again and red words appeared- _Fuck off_. Nidas smirked at his daughter, folding his arms smugly. Bibi squinted at him. "_Really_?" He pouted, the red message fading. "Bibi, you're hard to impress."

"Thank you." She inclined her head. Nidas muttered mimics of her under his breath, making faces as he wrote 'where r u?' in blue. Again, it took a moment for the message to disappear and the crystal began pulsing once more. The reply took a little longer- _I ran away. _

"No, don't leave me." Nidas blew a raspberry at it. The red lines wiggled and changed into a new message. _Near border. Found berries. Want some? _His smile returned and he sent back a large grinning face.

"Does it work over the border?"

"It can work over the _ocean_, Bibi, have some faith! Those crystals come in pairs, they're really hard to get and you're lucky I sto- uuuuuhhhh… _liberate_ stuff like this. Occasionally."

"You steal from the Guard?"

"They have all the cool stuff, leave me alone!"

"Papi!" Bibi protested, trying not to laugh. "What kind of example are you setting for your children?"

"The fun one, now go and see your girlfriend!"

"She's not- don't tell Mama I'm- _you're_ being horrible!"

"Um, _who_ broke our _entire _understanding of communication _between lands_ in a _quarter_?" He stuck his tongue out. Bibi replied similarly. They settled for poking each other incessantly until the red message came- _no berries for Bibi_. "Ha!" Nidas grinned victoriously. "I'm a well-fed _genius_!"

"Well-fed_ fathead_!" She dragged the scroll towards her- _Papi stinks_.

"Rude!"

_Yes he does_.

Nidas gaped. "_Double _rude! I'm not talking to _any_ of you anymore!" He crossed his arms, tipping his nose up sulkily.

"What about me?" Okia called from the next room.

"Do you have food?" Nidas called back.

"No!"

"Then no!" Bibi pulled on his arm. When he pretended to ignore her, turning his head away, she pulled again more insistently.

"Papi-"

"Not talking to you."

"Then I won't say thank yo-"

"No, no!" He whipped round, gripping her shoulders and leaning down until they were practically nose to nose. "Give me the thanks, I thrive in gratitude."

"You thrive in madness." Bibi pointed out, going cross-eyed to look at him.

"I can thrive in many things." He kissed her forehead, grinning. "Go on, go and find Mama and then go and see your not-girlfriend-girlfriend. Don't forget to tell her how clever I am."

"Of course, Papi."

"I know that was sarcasm-"

"Oh no, never."

"-but I'm feeling very proud of myself right now."

"More thriving?"

"Yes."

* * *

The scrolls were probably the best thing Nidas had ever come up with. He was rather keen to get his hands on some more of the pink crystals, but they had been difficult to acquire in the first place. "We used to use them all the time," he explained, nodding at his wife, "before we got Exiled and she couldn't ignore me as easily."

"I _never_ ignored you."

"Liar. But anyway, each of you hold a crystal, and you can _hear_ each other's thoughts, but like… only when you're talking to each other. Not, like, eavesdropping on _all_ your thoughts."

"Although there was that time you-"

"Hey, hey!" Nidas aimed a finger at Isa, who looked pleasantly surprised and trying not to laugh. "You _promised_!"

"I know, but-"

"Ah!"

"But-"

"_Ah_!"

"Can I-?" He flailed, pressing a finger to her lips and shushing her for as long as he could. Isa was trembling with compressed laughter. "You done?" She asked as his shushing faltered breathlessly. He took a deep breath, gave another quick shush and then nodded.

"Yes, done."

"OK," Isa looked to the kids, "so I was tryin' get hold of him 'n'-"

"Foul demon!" Nidas declared. He swooped her up over his shoulder and rushed out. Okia was the first out the door after them. Nidas dumped his wife on Ward's doorstep, pounding on the door until their neighbour answered. "She's mean!" Nidas pouted, pointing at Isa accusingly.

"Nothing of the sort!" Ward despaired. "Isa, come in, my dear, I'll make you some tea."

"Aw, thanks, Ward." He offered his hand and pulled her up, tucking an arm around her shoulders. He led her inside, looking at Nidas over his shoulder the entire time. Nidas swore under his breath.

"She's still my wife!" He called as the door swung shut. "Ward! She's _my wife_!" He hit the door and turned back, plonking himself on the top step. He noticed his children watching him. "What?"

"What did you do?" Okia grinned.

"Nothing!"

"No, come on!" Bibi laughed. "You have to tell us!"

"Nope!"

"Please!" Char bounced excitedly. "Please please please please!" He slipped on the step, Okia catching him by the arm. Nidas had shot to his feet, sighing in relief when Char was set back down. He ushered them back inside, swinging Char up onto his hip and blowing a raspberry on his cheek. "Tell!" Char insisted, pinching his father's nose.

"No."

"I have a question." Bibi piped up, before Char could protest further. "If you used the crystals to talk to each other, why did you make the scrolls?"

"Because you asked me to _make_ a relatively illegal communication something or other, not _hand one over_."

"But the crystals would have been easier."

"But then I wouldn't have surpassed literally every other form of communication. Listen, the crystals are great and all, but they need recharging after a few uses. With the scrolls, though, it's not sending thoughts, it's sending bursts of energy that bounce between the crystals and don't actually drain their power. 'Cos I'm smart."

"You just took your _wife_ to _Ward's_." Okia reminded him. "You know, your _rival_?"

"He's not my rival!" Nidas defied. "He's just… someone I've learned to tolerate over the winters, that's all! Here, take your brother, I need to go and get my wife back."

Bibi was quick to update Lody on her father's shenanigans- the fairy loved hearing about Nidas and his antics, and was just as curious as Bibi and her siblings as to what the secret with the crystals was. _I bet it was something super embarrassing, _Lody wrote, _but do we _want_ to know_?

_Good point._

_Did he get Isa back?_

_Eventually. She and Ward were having tea and chats._

"Is that Lody?" Char demanded excitedly, scrambling up onto Bibi's bed. He wiggled himself onto his sister's lap, poking at the scroll. He left blue dots over the surface. Bibi held him gently by the hand, helping him write out his name with his finger. "Oh, that's me!" He beamed once the 'r' was finished. Bibi helped him write a little more. "Wazzat?" He asked, curious amber flames in his hair.

"It says 'Char says hello'."

"I do say hello!"

"And look! Lody says hello back."

"Yay!" He clapped excitedly. "Now what?"

"She's asking if you're being trouble?"

"No, I is lovely! Tell her I's lovely!" Bibi nodded, but she didn't put that. _He's always trouble, but insists he's not_.

_That's boys for you_. Lody replied. Char yawned and stretched. He slumped back against his sister and, before long, was snoring softly. Bibi patted his head, his flames cool and sky blue. _My dad is being a total snoot._

_Oh no, what's he done this time? _

_He caught me reading some of our history books. _Bibi's brow furrowed. The next message rippled in. _I was looking for more info on your mother, on what happened. _And then- _All the accounts are more-or-less the same, nothing about a human. _

_Makes sense. _

_But it makes _more_ sense now I know the whole story! _The next message was in much smaller writing, filling the page. Maybe Lody had found something to actually write with, rather than her fingers. _The whole colourless eyes thing, the unprovoked attack, the fire imp (which I'm guessing was Nidas) tackling her, what you said that Ward said about how Isa was afterwards, there's been no repeats and no real incursions with imps since then. The only serious thing worth noting is when you crossed the border, and with your mother being who she is, our Guard are on high alert and refuse to stand down. Things are tense, I've heard talk of history repeating itself, some have left town already, heading to more remote villages for safety. _

_There's no need to?_

_I know! Father overhead me talking to Mother, I was asking her about the village. She was a child when it happened, she told me she remembered it being taught in school the following morning. _

_What did your dad say?_

_Took my books. Told me to keep my mouth shut and practise my stupid singing_

_It's not stupid! _

_To him it is._

_He's stupid! _

_He probably thinks I'm spying for you all or something._

_That's ridiculous, you _totally_ have no contact with imps!_

_Of course not, that would be insane and dangerous! On an unrelated note, are you free late shift tomorrow? I can try and sneak out for a little while. _

_Yes, can do. _There was a pause in the messages. Char snored. He had tipped to one side, his head falling on her thigh, drooling slightly.

_I have to go, talk tomorrow! _

_OK, stay away from imps._

_No. _

The defiance made Bibi smile. She gently rolled the scroll back up and set it to one side. Okia wandered in, scribbling in her notebook. She glanced up once she had plonked herself down on her bed.

"Can't move?" She asked.

"Don't dare." Bibi confirmed. Okia smirked.

"Rather you than me."

"Thanks, love you too." Bibi blew a raspberry at her. Okia replied similarly, distracted by the scroll.

"Ooh, been talking to your girlfriend?"

"She's not-"

"One day you'll stop denying it. How is she?"

"Her dad's a snoot."

"A _what_?"

"A snoot. Basically a butthead, but they say 'snoot'."

"Sounds like 'snout'."

"See, I said that!" Bibi threw her hands up. Char started and murmured restlessly. Bibi quickly quietened, continuing in a hushed voice. "The scrolls are cool, though, almost instant. Don't tell Papi, he doesn't need any more ego inflation."

"I'm sure he'll try for some anyway."

"Definitely. What are you writing?" Okia sighed and scribbled something out.

"I'm just trying to work on one of Crazy Lady's stories, but… well, she's not always the _best_ story-teller. Always leaves bits out." Bibi nodded in agreement. She had avoided Crazy Lady since the encounter at the well. _They'll have your head sooner than they'll have your heart_. Okia was still talking and Bibi tried her best to listen, but all she could hear was Crazy Lady's twisted singing of her warning.

A knock on the doorframe drew their attention. Isa hovered in the doorway, smiling nervously.

"Bibi, I- oh, you're stuck."

"Help." Bibi pleaded. Isa's smile lightened. Char stirred as his mother picked him up, but he settled into sleep fairly quickly, snoring softly on her shoulder. Isa massaged his back. Bibi stretched her legs.

It took a bit of wiggling to get Char to detach so Isa could settle him in his own bed. His thin arms were locked almost defiantly around her neck and she couldn't get free, laughing softly and doubled over his bed. Okia bounced up to stuff a teddy bear in her brother's arms. He was quick to cling to that, Isa tucked him in.

"Thanks, mija." She squeezed Okia's shoulder. Okia returned to her writing and Isa looked back at Bibi, wringing her hands. She didn't say anything, motioning with her head and taking her leave. Bibi hesitated, but followed.

Isa stood by the hearth, chewing her thumbnail, shoulders hunched. The coals glowed softly amongst embers. Bibi took a seat just to her mother's right, picking up the poker to stir the coals. Isa sat, but slowly, as if she had forgotten how.

Neither spoke for a moment. Bibi managed to stoke the fire into a small assortment of flames. Nidas would want the fire going for dinner. Isa shifted, drawing her knees up to her chest, toying nervously with her boot laces. Bibi watched her from the corner of her eye. Isa may have begun to speak several times, but the words failed her.

After a few minutes, she steamed through the sentence, mumbling so her voice did not carry to the others. "I'm sorry, Bibi, I am, I didn't wanna tell ya 'cos I didn't want ya thinkin' I meant ta do that 'n' I get why you're mad, I do, ya know what I'm like 'bout secrets, like big important secrets-"

"Mama-"

"-but ya needed ta know the truth 'n' now ya do 'n' I-"

"Mama-"

"- I'm sorry, Bibi, I just wanted ya'll ta be OK, I wanted ta bring ya'll up like normal kids, but with everythin' that's happened, I don't know if-"

"_Mama_!" Isa started, eyes darting to her daughter as if scolded. "I'm not mad. I'm not, I promise." Isa still didn't look convinced. "I get why you didn't tell me. I don't know what happened with that human and you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Isa shook her head. Bibi set the poker down, reaching out to squeeze her mother's hand. Isa's fingers were cold in hers, trembling. Isa's mouth tightened, a dull ebbing glow within her marks. "I know it wasn't easy to talk about and I'm sorry I asked, but I… but thank you for telling me."

"Did… did ya tell Lody?" Bibi nodded. Isa closed her eyes, frost speckling her fingertips.

"She believes you, Mama. She said… she said knowing your side made more sense. I think she wants to help, or… or at least let others know the truth."

"N-no, it's… it's too late for that."

"Is it? Think about it, Mama," she pressed on as Isa nodded, "why would I Mark with a Fae if the two sides are doomed to forever hate each other?"

"I dunno, you're weird."

"Runs in the family." Bibi deadpanned. Isa smiled weakly. "Please don't think I'm mad at you, Mama. Or that I think you're some kind of monster, I know you're not. You told me the truth, even when you didn't want to- I saw how hard it was for you and I'm grateful, but _please_, I don't hate you for it." Isa studied her face, sea green fixing on deep, earthen brown. She wiggled her hand free, brushing Bibi's hair back from her face.

"Thank you, mija," she said softly, kissing her daughter's forehead, "I don't deserve you."


	12. Chapter 12

**I regret nothing.**

**Also, minor time skip.**

* * *

"I have good news!" Lody sang, skipping forward to throw her arms around Bibi's neck.

"Is it the kind of good news that is genuinely good news or the kind of good news that is good news for you, but bad news for someone else?"

"Genuinely!"

"Oh, so that _does_ happen."

"Oh, shut up." Lody wrinkled her nose at the imp, drawing back to rummage in her hamper. "I have _found_…" Lody began, peering into the hamper with a frown, "I have found out that… aha! There they are!" She drew her hand from the basket with a flourish, a pink cotton pouch in her grasp. "I found out that Pri berries aren't poisonous to imps! Now you can try them!" Bibi blinked at her. Lody's smile faltered into a pout. "What?"

"Didn't I ask you that, like, three moons ago?"

"Two!" Lody protested. "And a half." She added under her breath. Bibi smiled. Lody tipped her chin up defiantly. "Do you want one or not?" She shoved the pouch under Bibi's nose.

"OK, but if I die-"

"I'll be very sorry."

"Mmm, I'm convinced."

"Just eat the berry." Bibi tried one. Lody watched her eagerly, pouring berries into her palm and scoffing the lot. "So?" She asked around her mouthful. "What'd you think?"

"They… taste like the ones Papi likes."

"They do? Wait, what does he have then?" It was Bibi's turn to rummage for berries, but she still didn't have a hamper like Lody's, just a worn satchel.

"I can't remember their real name, Papi just calls them 'border berries'. Mama's always bringing him some back." Lody examined the handkerchief of berries in Bibi's palm, poking at the fruit curiously. "They turn your tongue purple." Bibi prompted.

"But are they poisonous to Fae?"

"Don't know."

"So if I die-"

"I'll be very sorry." Bibi confirmed with a smirk. Lody regarded her, quirking a brow. Without taking her eyes from Bibi's face, she snatched a handful of border berries and stuffed them into her mouth. "I waited three- sorry, _two and half- _moons before trying Pri berries, but you're more than happy to eat border berries without a second thought?"

"Yes."

"Should I be worried?"

"Probably."

"Are _you_ worried?"

"No." Lody swallowed her mouthful, sticking her tongue out and going cross-eyed in attempts to see it. "I' i' 'ur'le?"

"Little bit. Bit green too." Bibi surrendered her berries. Lody seemed more than happy mashing border and Pri berries together, wolfing them down like no tomorrow. Over the last few quarters, Bibi had watched Lody's appetite grow. She no longer feigned delicate table manners while eating, more than happy to eat with her fingers and gorge herself on whatever she could. Bibi didn't mind it- it meant she didn't have to feign table manners either. "How's your little mission going?"

"Oh, fantastically!" Lody rolled her eyes. Bibi squinted at her suspiciously. "OK, riddle me this, Bibi, prepare yourself," Bibi inclined her head, nodding more vigorously when Lody glared, "if someone anonymously left repetitive letters on your and your colleagues' desks or snuck into your belongings or even one of your pockets, would you read it, just out of curiosity?"

"More than likely."

"No."

"No?"

"_No_. Apparently, if letters aren't filed the correct way, they don't get read. And by correct way, they are all opened and read by a team of highly trained individuals whose job it is to violently censor or dispose of anything that does not directly or indirectly benefit the Fae or have any applications to our current education, our understandings of our enemy and/or our neighbours _or_ any changes to what the Council deems appropriate for the public to hear."

"Huh. Who'd have thought?"

"I'm very tempted to start sneaking these letters into people's houses."

"All well and good, Lody, but you run the risk of being caught."

"I also run the risk of being caught dating an imp- I'll take my chances." Lody stuck her tongue out. Seeing it a blend of purple and green caught Bibi off guard for a moment. It was silly, but she laughed. "What? Oh, shush. You're nothing but trouble."

"Aww, you do care."

"You didn't bring enough berries."

"Hey, I ran the risk of being caught stealing _Papi's_ berries. You _do not_ steal his berries. _Ever_."

"My heart bleeds for you, now get me some more."

"No."

"Aww, you don't care." Lody pulled a face. Bibi sat up straighter, resting her elbows on her knees. The border shimmered between them. Lody had often hopped over, for small amounts of times, just to see what would happen or to sit closer to Bibi. Bibi could not cross. She could just about put her hand through the magic, but it rippled warningly and pushed her back.

Lody followed Bibi's gaze, frowning at the border. "Stupid Guard." She grumbled, popping the last of the Pri berries in her mouth. "I hate this border, Bibi."

"Me too."

"One day, we'll live without it."

"Yeah?"

"Yes. Even if I have to tear it down myself. It's stupid." Bibi began to reply. The snap of a twig caught her attention, ice washed her skin. "Bibi, what is it?" There was a quiet whine, a sound Bibi knew all too well. Her eyes darted to the treetops, catching on a shine just over Lody's head, roughly fifty paces away.

She tackled the fairy, the arrow skimming her hair. It dived into the trunk Bibi had been leaning against. Bibi kept low, pressing against Lody, making sure she was covered. Lody's breath tickled her cheek, hastening in panic. "Wh- what-? Oh no." A soft whistling noise sparked on the border behind them, zipping over their heads and growing fainter as it raced away. Lody squirmed, managing to peek under Bibi's arm. "Bibi, the border-"

But it was too late.

They came from everywhere. Bibi tried calling on the lake's water, but she did not have the reach of her mother. The Fae Guard swarmed in, armoured and bearing weapons galore, shields up. Archers appeared from the trees, wings buzzing angrily, dozens of them, aiming from every possible angle. Rough hands gripped Bibi's arms, wrenching her to her feet. She tried twisting free, tried kicking, tried fighting the ropes encircling her forearms. Lody was screaming, soft thuds as she too hit out. Bibi turned, saw Lody's mouth moving as she began summoning a spell. A length of cloth snapped over the lower half of her face, muffling her words, ropes coiling tightly around her wrists and ankles. Lody cried behind the gag, toppling over.

"No!" Bibi yanked her weight forward. Pain erupted on the back of her head and she blacked out before she even hit the ground.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Veeeeeery **_**short chapter today! Oops!**

* * *

Bibi was sure she was awake. But it was so dark, so couldn't tell if her eyes were open or not. Her head pounded, she could taste blood. Her mouth was dry, her throat felt lined with tree bark. Her shoulders were aching, arched around a stone post. Her breathing was constricted, a pressure on her ribs. Wherever she was, whatever was going on, it was swelteringly hot. The air was heavy and stuffed with heat, singeing her lungs. Her skin prickled with sweat that dried almost immediately in the rocketing temperature. She coughed, realised why her chest was so tight.

Red-hot metal chains ensnared her to the stone post at her back. When she tried to move her hands, she could not feel her fingers. Her heart thumped- _her hands were in the stone._ She strained, to no avail, panic doubling when she realised her legs were no better off. She could not see them, but the weight of stone shackles bore down on her lower legs and feet.

Breathing did nothing to dull her hysteria. Her memory was returning, they were ambushed. Where was Lody? What had they done with Lody?

Lights flared before her, she squeezed her eyes shut as pain blared through them.

"Oh, don't be like that." She squinted at the voice, her eyes taking too long to adjust. A fuzzy image stood amongst the autumnal haze of fire. Bibi could not see their face, but she recognised that stance, the long braid draping to the floor.

Atala the Fae Queen smiled. Bibi did not see this, but she heard it in the queen's voice. "That's better. Keep your eyes open, imp." She gave a laugh, smoothing down her dress. "It's no fun if I can't see the fear."


	14. Chapter 14

"Soooo, did you talk to Bibi?"

"Yes."

"And was I right?" Nidas grinned lopsidedly. Isa raised a brow at him.

"Miracles _do_ happen." His smile vanished into a pout and she smirked. "Awww," she cooed, pinching his cheek, "I'm not sorry."

"You never are."

"Arrrggghhh, bug lady, bug lady!"

"I'm not a bug lady!"

"BUG LADY!"

"No, Char, no fire indoors! _Char_!" Isa was first to the door, stopping short when her son barrelled past encased in red-hot flames. Nidas ducked round her, grabbing the boy up and hugging him tightly to his chest.

"BUG LADY!" Char protested, kicking to get down.

"I am _not_ a bug lady!"

"_Who the fuck is sayin' that_?" Isa demanded.

"Down here!" The voice called. Okia pointed as well. Her parents stared in amazement.

"By the moon," Nidas marvelled, "is that a _dryad_?" Char froze, squishing himself against his father, his fire snapping out. A pout had settled on his face, his nose wrinkling.

"Tree lady." He mumbled.

"Yes, I'm a dryad, tree lady, we're rather flammable."

"Uh… sorry, he's…" Nidas floundered. The dryad could have easily sat in his palm, her dress of pink and purple petals was smouldering and her hair had frizzed up wildly in the heat. She did _not_ look happy, standing on the floor, arms folded and tapping her foot.

"Um…" Isa waved for the dryad's attention, crouching to get a better look, but not getting within arm's reach of her. "I thought dryads could fly?"

"We can. But I'm far from my home and my powers are weakened. No, don't interrupt, there isn't time! Bibi is in danger!"

"_What_?"

"Wait," Okia held her hands up, "how'd you know Bibi?"

"I'm Angea. I accompanied her when she crossed the border the first time."

"_The first time_?" Isa repeated. Angea scampered back. She stared at Isa defiantly, but her bottom lip quivered with fear.

"There was an ambush, two nights ago." At Isa's glower, Angea squeaked. "I came as quickly as I could! The Fae Guard, they shot at Lody. Bibi rescued her, but in doing so, crossed the border. Now the Fae Queen has her and Lody has been taken away." Nidas swore. Isa stood, clenching her fists. Their eyes locked, fiercely, coming to a silent agreement. Then Isa turned on her heel, marching to their room. Nidas turned to Okia, holding Char out.

"Take your brother to Ward's." He said firmly, a hard set to his jaw. Char wrapped his limbs around his sister, clinging tightly. "Angea, where did they take them?"

"I know where Lody is. I scouted as far as I could- I heard Lody arguing with some of the Guard. I… I don't know where they're keeping Bibi. The Queen has her, she could be anywhere." Isa returned, having donned blackened armour, her bow and quiver across her back. She nodded at Nidas and was gone, the front door slamming behind her.

"Papi, what are you going to do?" Okia asked.

"You two are going to Ward's, no arguing. I'm going with Angea. Maybe we can free Lody," the dryad nodded, "and then we'll go and help Isa." He finished, watching Angea carefully.

"Agreed," Angea said, "I may be able to sneak you through defences, but it'll be risky."

"Then take some of the others!" Okia insisted. "I'll go, I'll drop Char off and-"

"No, no way. You're staying _here_. Well, at Ward's anyway. He knows what to do."

"But-"

"Okia, please. There's no time." Okia held her tongue, simmering quietly. Nidas's expression softened. "I've got one child at risk right now. I'm not putting the other two in the same situation. OK?" Okia nodded, sniffing and not meeting his gaze. Nidas squeezed her and Char in a hug, kissing them both atop the head. "Ward will look after you."

"You make it sound like you're not coming back."

"Have a little faith, mija, you'd never be rid of us so easily."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

* * *

The door opened. Lody glared as it squeaked on the hinges, expecting another Guard she could yell at. Her insults died on her tongue, ice shrivelling her lungs.

The Fae Queen stood tall, hands tucked neatly in front of her. Only the lowering of her eyes indicated she was regarding Lody, a sneer forming over her colourless lips. Lody stared back, feeling her temper rekindling the longer the Queen stood there. Lody was kneeling on the floor, her hands shackled, a chain feeding around her and bolted to the wall.

"I expected your father had raised you better."

"My father can hardly remember my _name_. What makes you think he'd have had input in my childhood?" Atala smiled humourlessly.

"My Guard said you had a sharp tongue. Most unbefitting of a singing fairy."

"Kind of need a tongue to sing. Where's Bibi?"

"That is none of your concern. We will undo whatever magic it has woven in your mind. You will be free of that imp's vile influence." She spread her hands, flitters of golden-white magic blazing at the tips of her fingers. Lody recoiled, heart hammering in her chest. Atala's smile broadened into something colder. "This will only hurt if you resist, little one."

* * *

Isa did not hesitate at the border, sprinting straight across it. A sharp whistle went up, zipping overhead. Bibi had told her something similar had happened when she had initially crossed the border. Isa ran just behind it. Bibi had only described the noise. She had not kept pace with it, but she had never said anything about a glowing black streak crashing through the treetops like an inverted shooting star.

If that got too far ahead of her, it was game over. They would be ready. They had feared her for actions not her own. If they prepared themselves for her arrival, she would never find Bibi in time.

She forged on. Leaves, twigs, low branches snagged her hair, painted stinging cuts on her face and hands, sliding from her armour. It was Nidas's design, something they had smuggled in and developed in secret. An amalgamation of enchanted bronze, leathery hide and toughened fabric, melting to comfortably fit her frame and conceal her within shadows. It was the most durable armour Isa had ever owned or worn, the most practical. Light-weight, stream-lined, built to maintain regularities in body temperature...

Nidas wanted to outfit them all with such armour, their children, their village. So they were ready. So that when the day came, when they were no longer Exiled, but Hunted, they would be safe. Materials were hard to come by. Isa and the children would be protected, even little Char, too young to understand, far too young to lose.

Isa gritted her teeth- _Bibi was far too young to lose_.

_The Queen has her, she could be anywhere._

She was making good ground, the black star rippled and pulsed right over her head. She could see roofs through the foliage up ahead, the sounds of chatter and bustle and children's laughter. Looking up, she saw the star was not straying from its path. It would go straight over that town.

Isa broke through the bushes and burst into the outskirts of the town, merely seconds from the square. The black star caught attention a heartbeat before she appeared, racing straight through the town centre amid screams and the scramble to get away. Her ears rang, darkness tinging the edges of her vision. _No, not now_. The scene around her teetered, her limbs became leaden. Pain flared in her shoulder as she struck the edge of a stone building, hard, and she tumbled, landing on her back between two houses. Her hands clamped over her ears, but the screams that bothered her weren't from the living.


	15. Chapter 15

"It's not working."

"Didn't expect it to."

"Really?"

"Well, yeah. Imps have evil magic, _twisted_ magic. That girl's brain is probably so messed up, there's no point keeping her alive."

"But the queen said-"

"I know what she said. But it's not going to work."

"So what do we do?"

"Don't think there's much we can do. Just keep her alive until the queen says otherwise."

"What'd you think she's doing to that imp?"

"Hopefully what it deserves."

"You think the marks are real?"

"Hard to say."

"I heard a dryad confirmed it."

"For all we know, the dryad could be tainted with imp magic too."

"Is that possible?"

"Probably. Imps will do anything to get their way."

"Why do you think it picked the girl though?"

"Maybe because of her father? He's on the Council, right?"

"Think so."

"Maybe it's a plan, maybe they wanted to take over from the inside."

"Ooh, maybe. Wait, someone's coming." Shushing began, back and forth for a moment, hurriedly silenced as footsteps drew nearer. "Your Majesty." There was a clink of armour, presumably from bowing. "The prisoner refuses to eat and-"

"Hush now, she is not our prisoner. She is our patient."

"Oh, of course. Sorry, your Majesty."

"It is quite alright. You said she's not eating?"

"No, your Majesty. She threw food at Mal here-"

"Did not come out easily, your Majesty."

"-and then she was rather rude."

"Do not be too harsh on the girl. She is still contaminated with imp magic. Now step aside, let me through."

"Yes, your Majesty." The guards spoke in chorus. A few seconds later, the series of locks clicked and clonked until the door squeaked open. Queen Atala swept in, bedecked in jewels and a lilac silk dress. Lody frowned up at her, pouring as much defiance as she could into her glower. The door swung shut.

"Now, now, little one, there is no need for such a look. I am here to help!" Atala placed her hands on her knees, leaning down to be nearer to eye level with Lody.

"Where's Bibi?"

"That is none of your concern, child."

"What are you doing to her?"

"That is-"

"TELL ME!" Lody screamed. Atala's hand shot out, cracking her across the cheek.

"You will mind your tongue, little one. I am your queen, you will be wise to respect that." Atala pinched Lody's chin in a grip, her fingernails cutting into the girl's skin. "I will free you of that imp's meddling, I will work to return you to our society-"

"There is _no meddling_." Lody scowled. "And I don't want to be a part of _your_ society if you hurt Bibi!" Atala's grip tightened, droplets of blood peeling onto her nails.

"That imp's mother has been spotted in a village on our outskirt. The Guard have been assembled, she will not get far."

"You underestimate her."

"No. We did, once, but we will not make that mistake again. _I_ will not make that mistake again." Atala shoved her away, studying the blood on her fingertips. "So, let's try that again, shall we? I will free your mind of-"

"What have you done with Bibi?"

"-of that imp's meddling-"

"Just tell me what you've done!"

"-I will work to return you to our society-"

"_Where's Bibi_?"

"-or I'll have no choice but to kill you."

"Then kill me. But tell me what you've done to Bibi first."

"No. I will not give you that satisfaction."

* * *

Nidas sighed. Angea, having stopped at her home to recharge in her fauna, was floating before him, considering the set of paths. "Angea, as much fun as this is, I would really rather find my daughter."

"I know, I'm sorry. It's just… if we go left, I know the path is riddled with traps set by the Guard. The right takes longer and has so many twists and turns through the forest, it is very easy to get lost. We could wind up further from Bibi than we would realise, may never come back out."

"And the middle?"

"Is our best bet…"

"But?"

"But it will have a battalion of Guard waiting for us." Angea grimaced. Nidas tapped his finger on his chin, humming. "Middle path?"

"What sort of traps on the left?" He pointed. Angea blinked at him. "What?"

"I'm sorry, I thought the Valdez family were renowned fighters?"

"Ah, that old chestnut. Well, bug lady, my _wife_ is a renowned fighter and has been training the children. _I _am more of a renowned _engineer_."

"You can't fight?"

"I can, but I'd rather avoid it."

"So, you want to go left?"

"I'd have more luck with traps than the Fae Guard." Nidas nodded. Angea sighed, settling on his shoulder. "If Isa were here, I'd definitely take the middle path. But I would very much prefer keeping my head on my shoulders and my body free from pointy things. This way!" He beamed, marching down the left path.

"You're rather strange, aren't you?" Nidas offered a lopsided grin, but his heart wasn't in it. Angea patted his cheek comfortingly. "I will help you as best I can, Nidas. I will guide you to Lody. With luck, we will meet Isa and Bibi and escape."

"Lots of luck."

"Yes, of course. This is madness."

"Welcome to the family, mija. We _are_ madness."

Angea did not doubt him on that. How they survived the left path, she had no idea. There were traps every few feet- bits of path that fell away into pits of wooden spikes or sharp rocks. Trees that were charmed to snare anyone that got too close within their roots, rocks or logs primed to fall on their heads, darts that flew from hidden places to poison or paralyse them. Nidas weaved his way through everything, laughing and disabling the mechanics, dodging the magic, taking delight in several of the set-ups and critiquing others in how he would improve them. Angea was sure her heart would not cope with anymore when she realised the end of the path was now in sight.

"There!" She beamed. Nidas grabbed her before she flew on, a tree falling in their path with an almighty crash and roaring of shaken branches.

"Ow, my foot." He deadpanned. Angea looked down, seeing he stood a half dozen steps from the trunk. Nidas smiled, flicking a leaf from his shoulder. He let her go and clambered over the log. "Mm," he hummed, contemplating the ground, "tricky, tricky." He hopped diagonally to the left, slowly working his way through a higgledy-piggledy game of hopscotch, never letting his focus shift from the path. Angea followed along beside him, not daring to speak in case she broke his concentration.

Once his smile returned and he marched on, she alighted on his shoulder.

"What was that?"

"Kabooms. Clever work, but not on my to-do list. Not today, anyway."

"Should I be worried?"

"Nah."

* * *

Isa lurched, stomach broiling. Her head spinning, vision blurring, she could not discern what lay before her. Nor could she tell what was real and what haunted her. Perhaps both.

The screams had not settled, plaguing her ears with such force, it seemed to resonate in her bones. She had left the village behind, ducking into the treeline once more. The black star she had been following was long gone. In this state, she would never see it again.

Bile seared the back of her throat. Her hands scrabbled on a tree trunk as she doubled over, battling to keep it down, gulping for air. The metallic tang of blood writhed through her nose, her lungs. She could taste the coppery bitterness, could not spit it away.

_Come on_, she mentally scolded, _come on, you have to get to Bibi, move!_

She staggered, shoulder-slammed a tree and fell, twigs and dried leaves crackling under her hands. But she did not see them. She saw carnage, festooned in liquid crimson, littered with strewn remains, the last of the screams cut short with a soft, wet ripping sound she could not unhear.

A lone face loomed before her, scarred on one side, grinning under a shelf of blond hair. Eyes of blue scorned her with an amusement she would not benefit from. Luke spoke to her, his voice momentarily replacing the screaming.

_I told you you'd never be nothing more than a monster. And you deserve _exactly_ what a monster gets._ He smiled, one corner of his mouth tipping up slightly more than the other in a sneer. _What are you, Louisa? What did you do?_

"You… made me…"

_Oh, don't be stupid. We're _far_ past that now. I never made you do anything_.

"Liar…"

_Just come back, Louisa, come back to me. You won't save her. You won't save anyone. You're a monster. You're only good to kill. _


	16. Chapter 16

**To right opinion- I see you were asking a genuine question and I am more than happy to answer it. But don't start a review that goes 'I haven't read this story and I don't plan to' because that just shows you might not stick around for the answer. This does link to Percy Jackson and all that- unfortunately, with the name changes, it is a little confusing, and I understand that because it confused me when I started writing this. Nidas is Leo Valdez. Isa is Louisa, my OC that is Percy's twin sister. Percy and co, they're not in the story as of yet, but I have mentioned them in a couple of places. I'm actually quite close to them coming in, so you've kind of asked your question on the cusp of the answer itself. Give the story a read, you might surprise yourself! It's a second generation, AU type of thing that _will_ and already _does_ link to Percy Jackson. So I hope that helps. Any other questions, feel free to ask, but again, don't start with the 'I haven't read this story', it came across a little confrontational (even if that wasn't your intention).**

* * *

"And you said it would be _dangerous_."

"Will you keep your voice _down_?" Angea hissed. Nidas smirked at her. "By the stars, how are you still alive?"

"Isa." He replied simply. "It was part of our marriage vows- the only way someone would get away with killing me, is if _she_ was that someone. No-one else even gets close."

"I envy your relationship."

"That sounded sarcastic, but I will take it sincerely. So thank you. Now, which way?" Angea peeked through the foliage, Nidas peering around a tree trunk. They had found a fae encampment, deep purple tents arranged in a circle in two lines around one larger command tent of golden hues. Guards were stationed outside it, more were scattered about, either on watch or on break.

Angea hummed indecisively.

"The guard has tripled." She noted solemnly. "I do not see how we are to get through."

"Tripled? Are you sure?"

"Yes. Perhaps they are aware your wife has crossed the border."

"Mm, yeah, that'd do it." Nidas drummed his fingers on the bark, biting his lip as he thought. They ducked back into hiding as a trio of armoured guards marched past, armed with spears and swords in their belts. "OK, I have an idea." Nidas whispered. "You're not going to like it though."

"Why do I get the feeling this is how it always is with you?"

"Because it is." Nidas grinned. "Now I need your best tap dancing…"

* * *

"-around here somewhere." The voice caught Isa off guard and she ducked behind a line of bushes. A dark-skinned fairy was poking through the plant-life with his spear and a frown, eyes almost black in the shadows beneath his helmet. "The Fae Queen wants her alive, remember. She has to pay for what she did."

"And how does the Queen expect _us_ to bring her in? If she can wipe out a village, just like that-"

"We'll have to find the bitch first, don't forget. By the sun, I hope we don't find her."

Isa felt strange. She could not see this guard's buddy, could only hear him roughly searching through another patch of forest, maybe twenty paces away? The guard closer to her was almost within arm's reach, she watched his advance with a blank mind. She did not recall how she got here, to this part of the forest. She did not recall when the visions had stopped plaguing her or when Luke's voice had wilted away. Her limbs felt light, as though suspended in water, her mind felt disconnected from her body but, at the same time, was aware of her every prickle on her skin, of every heartbeat and low breath, coming to a decision all on its own.

The guard closest to her, she would name him G, only had to look down. He was talking to his partner, looking over his shoulder as he stabbed at the bushes still. "-heard there's a reward if we bring her in. Heard rumours that it'd set you up for _life_. Can you imagine? We could retire early, live our lives, feed our families…"

"Don't believe all the rumours." His friend chided softly. "Our luck never runs that way."

Their luck was about to change.

G startled as his spear was almost wrenched in his grip, fingers scrabbling to maintain his hold, yanked forward two steps, teetering over the lines of bushes. Isa smirked at him, hands secured around the weapon, the pointed tip a handbreadth from her face. The colour seemed to drain from his face, the whites of his eyes expanding in terror. He croaked, squeaked, tried tugging his weapon free.

Isa rose from her crouch, twisting as she did so. G's feet left the floor, launched into a pole vault. He landed on his back on the hard earthen floor, clattering in his armour and wheezing at the impact.

"Mal!" There was a clanging. Isa spun the spear and thrust out the end of it and sweeping it. Just in time for the second guard to be caught in the chest with it. He disappeared from view, a cacophony of armour and breathlessness.

Isa dropped the spear, feeling the disconnection again. Her hands did not feel like her own, but as she moved her fingers, as she saw her feet take her from her hiding place and begin to run again, she realised she did not mind this disconnection. It was a great improvement on her last state of mind.

* * *

"I can't believe that worked."

"Hey, have a little faith." Nidas pouted. Angea quirked a brow at him. Nidas stared back, not seeing what her problem was. They stood in one of the tents, knee-deep in unconscious, bound guards.

"I'm sorry, but I think you're the only one that can combine tap dancing, hayfever and a sauce pan into a plan that takes out…" She did a quick head-count. "Thirty-seven fairies."

"I'm not following."

"That's witchcraft."

"I'd say thank you, but Ward has a run-in with a witch, he does _not_ speak very highly of them." Nidas grimaced, shaking his head. "Anyway, which way to Lody?" Angea stuck her head out of the tent, frowning.

"Someone will notice soon, we must move quickly. But Lody is below the command tent. That's where the Fae Queen is."

"Below the tent?"

"Yes. The Queen always likes to keep her enemies underground."

"Bit morbid."

"It is." Angea agreed. "Come along." Nidas followed after her, adjusting the stolen helmet. He had donned the Fae Guard armour, but this set was too big for him and the spear did not settle in his hand. He had left the sword behind- past experience with swords told him it was for the better. Angea did not stray any further beyond his arm's reach, constantly looking left and right, her wings buzzing gently. "Stop." She breathed, retreating sharply. Nidas halted, the helmet bumping the top of his nose as he did.

He heard the thumps of boots on the ground and mentally swore. He was very clearly still wearing his totally, not-even-hidden-a-little-tiny-bit, imp boots. He tipped his head up a tad, just enough to see, hoping they would not see his very-much-imp-marked face.

Angea dived and hid behind him, two fairies rounding the corner and almost colliding with Nidas.

"What are you doing?" One of them demanded hotly.

"Um, got lost." Nidas replied brilliantly. "Looking for the latrine. I'm new."

"What unit are you assigned to?"

"Three. Uh, the third unit?" Behind him, Angea hissed. Nidas sighed. "Oh, to hell with this." He smacked one, then the other, on the head with the spear. Both crumpled instantly.

"I question you." She admitted as he dragged the thirty-eighth and thirty-ninth unconscious guards into the nearest tent.

"Everybody does." He nodded, swearing as the helmet bruised his nose once more. "Let's find Lody and get out of here."

* * *

Lody was watching her feet when the crashing started. She had lost herself to her thoughts, tipping her feet away from each other and then back the other way to tap the toes of her boots together. She didn't notice the first crash, as distant as it was. But the second crash made her jump, and it was accompanied by guards yelling, weapons clashing and the roar of fire.

And then silence.

"Shit, are we in the right place?"

"Of _course_ we're in the right place! I told you, the Fae Queen keeps all her prisoners underground!"

"I thought this was a _temporary_ camp?"

"It is."

"Why so many doors then?"

"I don't know, do I look like a fae architect?"

"Y- actually, I'll give you that one, that's a fair point. Oh, hey, there's someone in this one!" Lody lurched backwards as a silhouette appeared in the small barred window of the door. "Lody, is that you?"

"Who… who are you?"

"I'm Nidas, duh! Who else is this awesome and dashingly handsome?" Lody couldn't formulate a response to that. The second voice hissed at him to hurry up. "Oh, right, right. I'll have you out in a sec, Lody. Ugh, this stupid helmet, I _swear_…" The silhouette moved, flinging something from his head and launching it out of sight. The resultant crash and bang of hollow metal on stone had him swear again. "Don't repeat that." He warned.

A moment later, he had the door open, grinning broadly. Lody squinted and blinked in the sudden light, raising a shackled arm to shield her eyes. "Angea, keep watch." Nidas instructed as he rushed in, falling to his knees. He freed Lody's hands just as quickly as he opened the door, sliding the lock pick tools back into his belt.

"How-?" Lody began.

"Later, we need to get out of here, find Isa and Bibi and somehow get away from the Fae Queen and the thirty-nine guards with raging headaches."

"Forty-six now." Angea called in.

"I stand corrected." Nidas helped Lody to his feet. Her eyes had now adjusted to the light, examining his face. He had the same kindly eyes as Bibi, the same crooked smile and curly hair, although not as dark. His orange-red markings glowed faintly in the dimness of her cell. "Are you hurt? Ooh, you look like you need fattening up. We'll get you out of here and then you can enjoy some of my wonderful cooking, sought out by many." He beamed. Angea whistled, motioning to them. "Cool, cool, let's go."

Lody held onto Nidas's sleeve as they followed Angea out. They did not encounter anymore guards, not ones that were conscious anyway.

"Do you know where Bibi is?" Lody asked.

"No, but I'm hoping we'll get a sign."

"A sign? Like what?" Lody puzzled. Nidas opened his mouth to respond when the ground erupted a hundred paces to their left. Water shot skyward, twisting and roaring with force. It doubled over unnaturally, slamming into the ground, bringing up panicked screaming and bellowed orders to stand their ground.

Nidas laughed.

"Like that!"

* * *

Isa had found Bibi easily enough. She just looked for the most guarded tent in the vicinity and attacked that. The tent was empty, save for a trapdoor. She dropped down, hands skimming down the ladder as she fell. She could not see down here, cold and damp.

Damp.

Extending a hand that still did not feel her own, Isa took a breath. She could sense the water in the earth, felt the shape of a tunnel leading further onward. The water was undisturbed by life, so far at least. She drew her sword and started down the path, keeping her hand out. Her element responded to her in a continuous stream of information, framing the tunnel dug out by magic. It grew hotter the deeper she moved into the tunnel, the water she used began to peter out. There was one room at the end, her senses tingled, feeling a change in pressure somewhere in her gut.

Not water, not with it drying up. The other one.

That was Bibi.

The tip of her sword bumped along the wall, brushing against soft dirt. Ten steps later, there was a screech of metal on metal. A door. She turned to face it, pushing the blade into it. Sweat traced a line down her back. With a twist of her hand, the remaining water in the dirt reacted, contorting the door with a series of groans and pained creaks. She flung it to one side, her mind see-sawed between clarity and this weightlessness that had overtaken her.

"Bibi?" She called. "Bibi, mija, say somethin'." She stepped into the room, moving slowly, hand outstretched. The air in here was akin to a furnace, lapping up the oxygen in her lungs. She could feel Bibi's presence, could hear ragged breathing. She crouched, shuffled forward, her fingers brushing flushed skin.

Bibi groaned, tipping her head towards her mother's palm. Isa's senses overloaded at the contact, a lump of ice toiling in her gut.

Her daughter was dying.


	17. Chapter 17

**I'm baaaaaaaaaack! ^_^**

* * *

Bibi's head lolled on her mother's shoulder. Her breathing was shallow, haggard. Her skin was damp and sticky with sweat, her forehead creased with discomfort. Isa carried her back down the tunnel, temper seething through her veins. She could feel the feebleness of her daughter's heartbeat, the battle her body was going through just to keep her alive. It was only once they were above ground, away from the heat and the darkness below, that she could see the true extent of her daughter's condition.

Her beautiful blue marks, so vivid and defined, were now dark. The ones on her hands, up her arms, were blacker than a winter's night, greying the ones decorating her neck, dulling the last of the blue upon her face. Even the brown of her skin had paled, sickly and worn. She moaned, shivering in Isa's arms, discomfort melting to pain.

Deprivation.

To Deprive was to kill. An agonising, warring slog, wrought from the isolation to an imp's element. As nature's magic failed, marks lost their vibrancy. They darkened. They Blackened. In a bid to keep the imp alive, the last of their power sacrificed the rest of the body.

Isa looked at Bibi's face, heart twisting. Tears burned, she felt sick. Once the last of that colour was gone, Bibi would die.

And there was nothing she could do about it.

Well, that wasn't strictly true.

She could make them pay.

"She's here! She's got the prisoner! Form up!" Isa glanced up, hearing a clattering of armour, the thumps of boots. Fae Guard rushed in from multiple directions, bashing their shields as they made three measly lines against her, spears bristling over the top. The buzzing of wings and she looked up, seeing another dozen notching arrows, aiming at her head. Bibi groaned, as if she could sense the targets on her, turning her head into her mother's shoulder. "Aim! F-" The order was never finished. Isa stomped her foot. Hundreds of gallons of water reacted to her immediately, rushing up from the ground to stretch through the sky, as though it had never once tasted freedom. She could see the Guard yelling, raising their shields and bashing their weapons on them, but the noise was lost to the roar of the stream.

Inclining her head, the water bowed to her will, folding on itself. It gouged through the earth with ravenous fury, ripping up sod and grass, closing in on the Guard with no mercy. They were screaming, but she could not hear them, ducking behind their shields in a last ditch effort to keep what little ground they held.

Nidas rounded the corner. Isa's back was to him, but he could see she held their daughter and smiled, relieved. Large puddles were shivering under her temper, coating piles of groaning, injured, waterlogged Guards. Weapons lay in splinters, shields in pieces, helmets and armour plating scattered. Angea zipped past him, Lody stumbling along at his side. As they neared Isa, he felt the young fairy hiding behind him, holding onto his arm nervously.

"It's alright," he reassured, patting her head, "we're going to get out of here and-"

And then he saw Bibi. All his relief, his joy at their victory, the hope to go home and have done with this, was gone, torn from him with the force his wife wielded her element. "No." He croaked. "No, no, what-?" He touched his daughter's forehead. Angea had landed on her chest, curled into a little ball and sobbing. Angry tears speckled in Isa's eyes, teetering on the edge of losing it altogether.

Time crawled to a halt. Nidas felt numb, could see his hands shaking. He kept touching Bibi's face, her arms, as if the Black could come off under his fingers. There had to be some way he could fix this, he fixed everything else, he could fix her, he could- there had to be something- no. Isa had not spoken, but she didn't need to.

There was nothing, no solution, no remedy. It was over.


	18. Chapter 18

**To Destined Hope- yes, Pip is Piper, Tavian is Octavian- I literally just shortened all their names as best I could ^_^ And yes, that's Luke, he is from a back story I did AAAGGGGEEESS ago and will maybe possibly should include in later chapters- ya know, suspense 'n' all. And because I'm evil. So... :P**

* * *

Lody was the first to notice. Her mind had not yet caught up with what had happened, staring blankly at Bibi's face as if she could mentally right the colouration of her marks. Guards were reassembling, more numbers were pouring in. More took to the sky, almost twenty to the previous dozen. And they weren't alone.

"Don't just stand there! Get them!" The Queen raged, flinging a finger in their direction. Isa clenched her jaw, holding Bibi closer to her chest. Nidas moved to stand in front of them, bunching his fists. Flames crisped to life up his arms. None of the Fae Guard moved, glancing at one another with uncertainty. Atala gradually turned a funny shade of puce, glaring round at her soldiers. "Useless!" She cried, throwing her hands up. She snatched a sword off the nearest guard and stormed forward. The glower upon her face was strong, but her hand shook, the blade wobbling a few inches from Isa's face. "Release the prisoner and surrender."

"How about… _go fuck yourself._" Isa growled. From the ground, water erupted, engulfing the Queen. Her screams turned to erratic bubbling. Isa twisted her foot on the floor and the water hardened into ice, leaving only the Queen's face uncovered and dripping wet. Isa shifted her hold on her daughter, walking around Atala. "Drop your weapons," she told the Guards, "or I'll freeze her completely."

"You c-can't d-d-do tha-that." Atala said between chattering teeth.

"Try me, bitch." Isa snarled, rolling her shoulder. Atala cried out, shards of ice growing into her back and shoulders. The Guards lay their weapons on the ground, putting their hands up. Isa walked right past them, leading the others. If she looked at one, they flinched; one even fell over in his haste to get away. Nidas scorched their weapons as they passed.

They were twenty or so paces from the forest line, Bibi was stirring restlessly, Angea stroking her hair and sobbing quietly, but still wouldn't wake. Isa shushed her gently, eyeing the trees for any surprises.

One surprise did come. Except it wasn't Fae.

She stopped short, Lody crashing into her and squeaking. She instinctively shrunk into her glowing orb form, vanishing from view. The forest line rustled, figures marching through with destruction in their wake. A battalion of Imp Guard stood shoulder to shoulder, round shields clashing together, swords at the ready.

"Exiled!" One stepped forward, a purple plume to the others' blue ones. "You are in breach of your banishment and are under arrest! Turn yourselves in peacefully and we'll consider lighter reprimands!"

"No!" The Queen shrieked. Isa and Nidas glanced back, surprised. Her soldiers were beginning to chisel her out, already free to her waist. "No!" She called again, half turning as best she could to glare at the intruders. "They are on _my_ land, they will suffer _my_ punishments!"

"With all due respect, Queen Atala, you are not equipped to hold them!" The Imp Guard turned back to them. Nidas squinted, peering into the Guard's helmet. He was not very impressed when the Guard removed said helmet and smirked at them.

"Ew, it's Tavian." He wrinkled his nose.

Tavian regarded them coldly. When they did not join him willingly, he motioned to his forces, putting his helmet back on with a scowl. At his command, the Imp Guards were ready, seconds from attacking.

"Any ideas?" Isa muttered, shifting her hold protectively on Bibi. Angea shot upwards, hovering over her head and clenching her fists defiantly, a knee-high simmering spitfire.

"Freeze them?" Nidas shrugged a shoulder. "I can't do anything, the forest is too close." So he took Bibi from Isa, mumbling apologies when she moaned, pained. "It's OK, mija, we'll… we'll get you home soon. Just hold on." Isa raised her hands, focusing on Tavian. He raised his shield a fraction, yelling at someone over his shoulder.

The shield line parted, just enough for a single person to slip through. Nidas felt Isa tense beside him, the water she had summoned splashing to the grass and soaking their feet.

"Louisa," Luke smiled, "how I've missed you."


	19. Chapter 19

**To Destined Hope- maybe. Maybe not. I mean... it's going to get worse. So... yeah ^_^**

* * *

Time seemed to have slowed down. Nidas could hear his heart beating in his ears, each pause felt like a lifetime. It took him just as long to turn to his wife, saw her hands fall to her sides, head bowed.

"Isa," he croaked, "Isa, no. Don't listen to him. Think about Bibi, we've got to get Bibi out of here." He shifted Bibi, resting her head on his shoulder, using his free hand to pull at Isa's sleeve. "Isa!" He pleaded. "Come on, _please_!"

"Isa!" Angea cried, tugging sharply on Isa's hair. "Isa, listen to us!"

"Louisa," Luke called, "kill the Fae Queen."

"No!" Nidas clamped his arm around Isa, hugging her to him as best he could. She struggled, eyes blank and colourless. "Isa, you're better than this. Remember what he made you do last time, you're _better_ than this." He glanced back at Luke, saw him talking with Tavian. He opened his mouth to argue, words cut short when the ground rumbled beneath his feet.

There was a victorious yelling behind them. The Queen was free. Isa began to struggle more, pushing on his arm. "No, Isa, I'm not letting you go." He shook his head, holding her tighter. Angea had tangled herself in her hair, screaming, wailing orders for her to stand down. The rumbling below was getting stronger. Some of the others had begun to notice it too.

Atala spread her wings, shedding the last of the ice. She took to the sky, her soldiers close behind. Luke shielded his eyes from the sun, smiling up at her.

"Ah, Queen Atala. I must thank you again for giving me her name," he waved vaguely at Isa, "it's been so very helpful."

"Wait… you…" Nidas looked up at her, brow furrowing. "_You gave him Isa's name_?"

"I don't have to justify myself to you, _imp_." She spat.

"Justify yourself to them." Nidas nodded at her soldiers. "You're the reason that Fae town was killed."

"Silence, you filthy creature."

"YOU GAVE HIM ISA'S NAME AND HE _USED IT_ TO MAKE HER KILL THAT TOWN! THEIR BLOOD IS ON _YOUR_ HANDS! THEY HEARD HIM AS MUCH AS WE DID, YOU CAN'T LIE, YOU CAN'T!"

"Y-your Majesty… is… that's… that's not true, is it?" It was Grah. He gripped his sword with both hands, shoulders visibly trembling. Atala whirled round to berate him, but could see the other soldiers lowering their blades in disbelief. "My Queen, please… _please_ tell me it's not true. Say the imp is lying." She floundered for a moment.

"Of-" She choked, hands flying to her throat. She croaked and warbled, battling to get the words out. Nidas gave a bitter smile.

"_You_ can't lie, _your Majesty_."

"Yes," she gasped, "but you can!" She tried desperately, zipping down to land before him. Isa lunged. Nidas jolted, arm around her waist. Angea screeched. Atala stumbled back. Her Guard had grounded, throwing their swords down.

"You are no Queen of ours." Grah announced, voice heaving with hate. Nidas smirked. Atala gasped, sobbed.

"No…" She shook her head, furiously searching her surroundings. She made a grab for Bibi. Nidas kicked her away, Angea flew out and punched her in the nose.

"Stop the human." He told her. "Stop him or it won't be Isa you have to worry about."

Atala didn't get a chance to respond, one hand over her injured nose. The rumbling in the ground was the loudest it had been. Nidas's ears twitched slightly, he could hear voices down there. He took a few steps back, dragging Isa with him. Seconds later, the earth exploded. Great chunks of sod, dirt and rocks rocketed in different directions. Atala disappeared. The ground all around him began to collapse, folding in on itself, falling away in sheets. The cacophony was thunderous. From the corner of his eye, he saw the Fae Guard taking flight. A heartbeat later, Nidas felt his feet slip, and then they fell too.

"There!" A voice shouted, delighted and instantly recognisable. The slab of dirt they were on jerked to a halt. Nidas raised his head, frowning. They were carefully lowered down. Okia met his gaze defiantly and he did not even feign surprise at seeing her, as stubborn as her mother. However…

"You brought _Char_?"

"Um, like he would _leave_. You're welcome, by the way."

"Ow…" Isa groaned, squinting round at them. "Ugh, what-?"

"Okia made dirt go boom!" Char giggled, bouncing excitedly. Nidas gripped his wife's shoulder, examining her eyes carefully. Sea green. Angea dived in, buzzing about their heads as she checked them over.

"Where's Atala?" She squeaked.

"Who?" Okia blinked.

"The Fae Queen, where is she?"

"Oh, that must have been your ghost, Char. Um, we saw it- I mean, her, we saw her fall down… somewhere over there. I think." Nidas helped Isa to her feet and she took Bibi back from him. He followed Okia's point, Angea searching ahead of him.

"Huh." He mused. "Well, you don't have to do what Luke said now."

"_Luke_?" Isa fumed. "That _bastard_."

"Mama, language!"

"Not this time, Char. She deserves that one."

"I say it?" He beamed.

"Not on your life. Whoa, what is that?" Okia pointed again, drawing up her fist. A sizeable rock came with it. A baby pink orb had zipped into the gaping wound in the earth, casting a sweet rosy light over everything. Bibi groaned, turning her face into her mother's shoulder.

"No, don't shoot." Nidas motioned to her. "It's Lody." The orb's light expanded. A moment later, Lody was scrambling to stay upright on the dirt. Nidas slid over to help her, gripping her hand and elbow. "Hi. Where did you go?"

"Hi, thank you, sorry, I- oooh, it's filthy down here."

"Hey." Okia pouted, crossing her arms. "Dirt is my thing. Shut up."

"What are you doin' down here, Lody?"

"Um, those Imp Guards are coming over. With that human man."

"Right, then you go with Okia 'n' Char 'n' get out of here. Angea, you too."

"What?" Okia and Lody protested instantly, Angea nodding obediently. Isa shook her head, setting Bibi on her feet next to her sister. Okia immediately grabbed her sister by the arm, hooking it around her shoulders.

"No time to argue. Okia, take Bibi. Nidas-"

"Don't even think about it. I'm staying with you."

"But-"

"I'm staying." Nidas defied. "No way am I leaving you with _that_." He took her hand, smirking triumphantly. "No way out of it, chica." He declared. Isa saw there was, indeed, no arguing with him, facing her children again.

"Okia, you're in charge, take the others back. Tell Ward ta evacuate the village, just in case. Then you five go _out_."

"Wait, you mean-?" Okia pointed vaguely, somewhere to her left. Bibi slumped against her, head dipping. Nidas looked to his wife. She nodded, watching the hole above. They could hear shouting now, someone yelling to mind their footing. "What about you?" Okia bit her lip, eyes watering.

"We'll be OK." Isa promised. "We've got strong kids."

"Strong and stubborn." Nidas corrected. "Now go!" Lody scooped Char up, Okia lifted Bibi over her shoulders. Angea saluted the pair staying behind and then she floated alongside the leaving party, ready to go. With a final look back, they started down Okia's tunnel. When the shouting got louder behind them, when they could hear the roar of fire and rush of water, Okia collapsed the tunnel behind them. The only light they had was from the nervous blue flames crackling weakly on Char's head. He was strangely quiet, chin on Lody's shoulder.

"Where are we going?" The fairy asked.

"We were always told that if anything happened to Mama and Papi, we had to leave and we had to find our uncle."

"Wait, out of exile?" Okia nodded. "But what if-?"

"Doesn't matter. No-one is tearing us apart."


	20. Chapter 20

**Here we go! Catching up with the rest of the crew!**

* * *

After warning the exiled village and having them evacuate into various tunnels, Okia led Lody and Char on. Angea had to stay behind, she could not stray further from her tree without serious consequences. She threatened the kids within an inch of their lives if she didn't see them well and soon- "You _will_ look after yourselves _and _each other, or by the stars, I will spend the rest of my life putting bugs in your beds."

"We'll be good, Angea." Okia promised. "But only if you look after yourself too."

Bibi was still out cold, but Okia refused to put her down. Time was short, she kept saying, they couldn't stop. Lody wasn't sure how long they trekked through the dirt and the dark. Char had fallen asleep on her shoulder, his flames spluttering a multitude of colours dimly.

"Is he OK?" Lody asked. Okia glanced back, standing on tip toe to see her brother's head.

"He's just getting his head round what happened. Sleep is the best way for him to do it."

"Is that a thing for imps?"

"Generally just fire imps, especially when they're younger. Depends on what's happened." She turned forward again, punching forward. The tunnel expanded onwards, the rocks from in front flying back to fill the way they had just come. Lody felt a tug on her hair, heard Char mumble in his sleep. Seeing her brother's fingers entwined in a lock of Lody's hair, she grimaced. "Oh, sorry. We love fluffy stuff."

"I know, Bibi told me. I don't mind." She shrugged her free shoulder. "Will, um… will Bibi be OK?"

"I don't know." Okia sighed. "She's been… she's been Deprived." Her voice cracked. She cleared her throat, picked up the pace a little.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

"But the Marks-"

"Everyone gets their Marks. We can't help who it goes to."

They walked on. Char slept for most of it, burrowing his hands in Lody's hair like a comfort blanket. Even the noise of his sister's excavations wouldn't wake him. At Lody's surprise, Okia half-laughed. "He can sleep through _anything_. You holding up OK?"

"I'm not used to walking for so long." Lody admitted. Her legs felt like logs, her arms were beginning to ache with the weight of the child. She wanted to ask how Okia was faring with Bibi, nearly offered to swap, though she doubted she'd take Bibi's weight without collapsing. Okia had stopped before she could, examining the ceiling.

"Not much further." She said, smiling grimly. "We're on the outskirts of the town."

"How will you find your uncle?"

"He's pretty well known in the town. Mama said he's a really powerful earth imp. I've always wanted to meet him, but… I just wish it was under better circumstances." They finished the walk in silence, the last stretch uphill to reach ground level. Okia's tunnel opened into a pass under a bridge. She set Bibi down, sitting her up against the wall. "Stay here, I'll go and find him. I'll be as quick as I can." Lody nodded, sinking to sit next to Bibi. She lay Char in her lap, patting him on the back. Okia nodded once and ran off.

Lody looked at Bibi. Her beautiful blue marks were fading. Along her arms, they were as black as the night sky. Dark grey up her neck, it was beginning to affect her face too. Lody had been too scared to ask what happened if they all went black.

She tucked her arm around Bibi's shoulders, resting the imp's head on her shoulder.

"Please hurry, Okia."

Okia had never seen so many earth imps in one place before, nor had she been in a town this big. Her village contained maybe less than thirty people. She saw thirty people around one table, throwing cards and dice at each other.

"Fresh fish, get your fresh fish here!" The market sprawled to her left, caught between two rows of houses and shops. Okia hurried over. "Young lady, you look like you need a salmon!"

"Um, maybe later. I'm looking for Erseus. Do you know where I could find him please?"

"Ah, you know Ers, eh?"

"I don't have time for details, sorry. Where is he?"

"His home is down this street, take the right at the end by the fountain and it's the one with the blue door."

"Thank you!" Okia beamed, turning away.

"Make sure you buy some salmon next time!" The merchant yelled after her. Okia waved, weaving through the crowds as quickly as she could. It was too crowded, she decided. Too many people refused to budge, but she eventually made it to the end of the street.

"Fountain." She spotted, looking right. Four houses down, there was the blue door. A dark haired boy, about her age, sat on the steps, reading, a grey streak in his hair glinting silver, like his marks, in the sunlight. Okia ran over. "Hey!" She called. The boy startled to his feet, grey eyes panicked, slamming his book shut. Okia stumbled to a halt before him, one foot on the bottom step, taking a moment to catch her breath. "Is Erseus in?" The boy said nothing, backing up the last step and pushing the door open.

"Dad?" He called over his shoulder. "Dad!"

"I'm coming, I'm coming. What's up, Vie?" A tall, lean earth imp came out, smiling and patting his son on the head. He had the same dark hair, the same grey streak. Okia perked up seeing his eyes- _sea_ _green_. He noticed her then, smiling dimming slightly with confusion. "Hello." He said.

"Tio Erseus?" She asked. His eyes widened.

"Wait… you're… you're Okia. Right?" She nodded. "Vie, go in." He gently ushered his son indoors. He pulled the door shut, coming down the steps to lay a hand on her shoulder. "Does Isa know you're here?"

"Mama said to come and find if she and Papi weren't around."

"Weren't around?" He repeated quietly. "What's happened?" Okia shook her head.

"I need to get back to Bibi and Char."

"I'll come with you, lead on."

It was easier getting back through the market with Erseus at her side. The crowd parted for him, smiling and waving, saying hello's. Erseus was just as friendly back, apologising for rushing off. They made it back to the tunnel in a third of the time it took her to get to him. He stopped short upon seeing Lody. "Um, Okia, why-?" Okia began to explain, kneeling at her sister's side, shaking her shoulder gently. Char woke up halfway through, immediately bursting into tears and calling for his parents. Lody tried to soothe him, but panicked when his hair became complete fire, a nauseous green.

"Char, it's alright." Okia hopped over to him, still in a crouch. "It'll be alright." She promised. "Look who I found." Char, thick tears dribbling down his cheeks, found Erseus. "Mama's brother. Remember, she told us about him?"

"Rock Man?" He asked, sniffing. Erseus laughed.

"Rock Man?"

"That's how Char remembers you, sorry."

"No, I love it!" Erseus approached, sitting beside Bibi. Char's fire dimmed a little, turning a curious orange. He sat quietly in his sister's arms while their uncle sighed and checked Bibi over. "Right, I'm going to have to take you back to mine. I know a healer, maybe he's got some ideas."

"What about Lody? We can't walk a fairy through town."

"No more walking." Lody pleaded. "I can't feel my legs."

"She could shrink down, I guess. Maybe hide in a pocket or something?"

"Rude." Lody wrinkled her nose at him.

"Got any better ideas?"

"Mm… not really." She sighed. "Fine, but I don't approve of this." With a burst of disgruntled pink sparkles, she shrank into her glowing orb form. Okia opened one side of her jacket and the orb disappeared into an inside pocket. Erseus shed his jacket, draping it around Bibi, shaking his head.

"I can tell your Isa's kids- _really_ short."

"Excuse me, life or death situation."

"Sorry." He shook his head again, picking Bibi up on his back. Okia helped loop her sister's arms around his neck. Char stuck his foot out, batting the sole of his shoe on Erseus's arm. "Um… what's he doing?"

"Sorry, fire imps like to fight people touching their stuff. Except, he's six, so he's not sure how he's supposed to fight you." Erseus laughed.

"Little man, I'm here to help." Char pouted distrustfully. "We'll work on it."


	21. Chapter 21

**To BethnPercy- Thank you for reading! I'm not updating this one as often because I've only got so many pre-written chapters, I was just trying to space them out to avoid a hiatus! I'm so happy to see another review on this, I love this story, I was so excited to post it, but I think I needed to do more of a background on the Valdez kids. Oh well, lesson learnt! :P Here's more for you! ^_^**

* * *

Erseus called out once they were inside his home. Okia and Char marvelled at it- their home could easily fit in this living room. It was large and warm and bright and comfortable and it was their own. They had their own stuff, rather than what was deemed suitable by the Guard. Each seat was taken up, all positioned around a large hearth. There was a water imp, a little older than Bibi, and an earth imp about the same age, older and stronger versions of Vie, who sat between them, still reading. In a single seat, legs draped over the side and also reading, a blonde girl of eight with silver markings. On the floor, two boys and a girl, all no older than three or four, playing with toys. One boy had earth markings, the other yellow markings. The girl also had silver markings, but very few of them, just over her arms.

They all looked up as their father returned, the littlest girl jumping excitedly only to freeze when she saw they had guests. Erseus had the three boys stand, Vie climbing on the taller boy's shoulders and watching carefully from this height.

"Dad," the eldest boy started as Erseus lay Bibi down, "Dad, who are these people?"

"These are your cousins."

"Mom!" The older girl called. "Mom!"

"What?" A blonde lady with silver markings stuck her head out of a back room, looking irritated. Erseus stood up.

"Sorry, Wise-Girl, I know you're busy." Erseus stood up. "Got an emergency." He gestured to the newcomers. She stopped short, coming out of the room altogether. "And we need W, too." She came over, leaning on the back of the seat to examine Bibi. Erseus turned to offer introduction.

"You're Tia Abeth." Okia said.

"Tell me what's happened." Abeth said, shaking her head. Okia glanced at her uncle.

"I may need to bring in a friend. But you all have to promise to keep your heads." Okia jabbed a warning finger at them, glaring fiercely when they only gave her blank looks. Eventually, she got nods. Erseus laughed.

"Now _that_ was an Isa look."

"Bring your friend in." Abeth encouraged. Okia opened her jacket. From her inside pocket, the baby pink orb streaked out, becoming Lody moments later. She took a deep breath, stretching her arms and wings, straightening her spine as much as she could.

"Oh, I hate cramped spaces." She muttered, picking a bit of fluff from her wing. She fluttered them and then let them fold against her back. She startled at all the faces staring at her. "Wow, there's more than I thought."

"Um, a _fairy_?"

"Hey, I said you had to keep your head." Okia crossed her arms. "This is Lody. She Marked with Bibi about… uh, however many moons ago it was, I can't remember now, my head hurts."

"Hi."

"How… how did a fairy Mark with an imp?"

"By the moon, if I knew that, we wouldn't be having this conversation!"

"OK, everyone just needs to stay calm." Erseus lay a hand on Okia's shoulder. "If we're going to help Isa, we're going to need the whole story." Okia's brow furrowed, eyeing him warily.

"And Papi." She prompted coldly. A funny look flitted through Erseus's eyes and he forced a smile.

"Yeah. Him too." Okia shrugged him off. With Lody's help, she told them all what had happened. Char interjected with demands for his mama, pulling on his sister's sleeve. When they didn't work, he went and sat with Bibi, sitting astride her stomach.

"Why does Bibi look funny?" He asked, examining the black marks on the back of her hand. "Ooh, did she do paints?"

"Um, yeah. Paints." Okia said distractedly. "And now here we are." Abeth and Erseus looked at each other. Abeth jerked her head to one side and they split from the group, talking quietly with their backs to the rest. Okia considered her cousins. One water imp, two earth imps, three mind imps and that odd one with strange yellow markings. She had not come across yellow before. She made to ask what they were for, but one of the older boys- the boy with the book- was leaning over Bibi, resting a hand on her forehead. His marks glowed gently. "Hey!" She protested, starting forward. Lody grabbed her by the arms.

"No, wait. He is only trying to assess what needs to be done for her."

"But-"

"I know. I'm worried too. The best we can do now is _keep our heads_." She smiled softly. Okia sighed and the fairy let go. "We will find your parents and we will do our best for Bibi."

"Right." Erseus was back. "We've got a plan, but we're going to need to call in friends of our own." Okia hesitated, glancing worriedly at Lody. "No, don't worry. These two can keep secrets better than anyone I know. Vie," the book boy looked up, the glow of his marks fading, "anything?"

"I'm just getting blocked." He said quietly. He stepped to one side when his mother approached. She knelt on the floor, putting her hand on Bibi's head. Erseus flexed the fingers on his right hand restlessly.

"Um, your friends?" Lody reminded carefully.

"Yes, of course. Axi, fetch Ni and W please." Axi nodded and ran out, the front door banging shut behind him. Erseus rubbed at his jaw, considering something else. "We're going to need Pip." Okia squinted up at him. "What?"

"Tia Pip? The one who makes the terrible pies?" A smile slowly graced his lips, an amused twinkle dancing in his eye.

"Ah, so her infamy runs strong. I can assure you, her pie making skills have increased greatly since Isa last had one."

"I'll let Mama be the judge of that." Okia decided, hands on hips. Erseus patted her on the head and took his leave. She moved over to stand at Abeth's side. Her marks glowed brighter than Vie's, but the look of frustration on her face suggested she had not gained any more than he had. "Ma'am?" Okia called, tapping her arm. Abeth opened her eyes, marks dimming.

"Just Abeth." She smiled.

"Mama said you were clever and knew a lot of history. Has… has anyone ever recovered from a Deprivation?" Abeth sighed, hands on her knees as she stood.

"No. The closest we've come is numbing the pain it causes, but even then, it's not overly effective." Seeing Okia's face fall, she snapped her fingers. "_But_ that doesn't mean we won't try and help her any way we can. I know we've only just met, but you are all family at the end of the day."

"What about at the start?" Tob asked. Abeth rolled her eyes and he grinned cheekily.

"You'll learn to ignore him." Sa said, popping up at Okia's side. "How about we look in the library, see if there's anything that can help in there?"

"You've got a library?"

"What are we, peasants?"

"Sa…" Abeth warned.

"Oh, right. Yes, we're very privileged to have our own personal library, but it does not compare to even a fraction of the library outside of town, which has thousands of more books and is far more knowledgeable than our simple home one can ever be."

"Sounds slightly rehearsed." Lody remarked. Sa cut her a cold look. Okia frowned. Abeth clapped once and Sa motioned to Okia, leading her to another room.

_Simple_, she had said. While this room may have been half the size of the one before, books filled from floor to ceiling, piles were scattered everywhere, some taller than Okia. More books were on the table, there were stacks by the windows. Seeing her cousin's amazement, Sa smirked.

"We're very educated here. Mom makes sure we are."

"Yeah, no kidding."

"Oh, _wow_!" Lody had peeked in. "Oh, this has _nothing_ on Fae libraries. All we get is _scrolls_." She wrinkled her nose. Sa was glaring at her, but she was too preoccupied, taking flight to examine the higher shelves. "And it's all sorted into categories!" She squealed excitedly. "Alphabetised by author, kept in the series order… oooh, I'm in heaven!"

"Lody, focus!"

"Sorry!" She called down in a sing-song voice. "What's over there?" She laughed, zipping across the room.

"Pfft," Sa huffed, "fairies are so dumb."

"Fairies can also hear you, sweetheart!" Lody informed in the same sing-song way, already rifling through a large book. Okia detected a slight warning edge to her tone, couldn't help but smile to herself. She was almost certain Lody would have no trouble 'dropping' a book on Sa, if she kept her snide remarks up.

"Where can I look for Deprivation?"

"There's not a lot. It's a touchy subject." Sa pointed her towards the window. "There's maybe two or three books. More like sheets if you ask me-"

"I didn't."

"-but they make do for light reading." Apparently, Sa's 'light reading' equated to nearly a thousand pages. Okia did not have as many books as accessible to her, but she had always considered herself a reader. Sa seemed to consider herself the best.

So they sat and read. There was a bit of a draft every time Lody went from one corner to the other, shelf to shelf. When Sa asked how she was getting through so many books so quickly, Lody looked down and grinned.

"Fairy brains run faster than imp brains." She said proudly. Okia held her book a little higher, biting her lip bemusedly. _Who's dumb now_, she could almost hear it. Sa was not impressed, huffing and pouring through her book as quickly as she could.


	22. Chapter 22

**I totally forgot about this! My bad! D:**

* * *

Erseus came in to see how they were getting on. With him, two imps they had not seen before.

The first, an olive-skinned, dark haired imp with jagged, deep purple markings, his eyes like obsidian. He was dressed mostly in black, except for his sky blue scarf. He didn't look very happy to be here; Okia got the impression he wasn't happy to be anywhere.

The second imp, a smiley woman with pink swirling marks over brown skin. Her thick, brown hair was braided with feathers over her shoulder and her eyes were a light, earthy brown, almost amber in the sunlight coming through the window. She wasn't dressed as dramatically as the other imp, a simple white dressed tucked at the waist.

"Oh, she looks like Isa too!" She cooed. "I've never been so happy!"

"Thrilling." The other imp muttered, picking something off his sleeve.

"Okia, this is my cousin, Ni. And this is Pip."

"The no-no pie lady."

"The _what_ pie lady?" The smile tightened, eyes wide with demand. Okia felt her quip die on her tongue.

"Mama said no-no to the pie." She squeaked.

"Well," Pip relaxed slightly, turning her nose up, "I'll be having _stern_ words with your mama when we get her back."

"I have a question." Ni announced to no-one in particular, hands in his pockets. "Why is there a fairy up there?" The other two looked up.

"Lody!" Erseus called. The fairy braked, clumsily rolling in mid-air at the sudden interruption. She looked down, tucking her book under her arm. Erseus beckoned her down and she landed at his side.

"Hello!" She beamed. "I'm Lody." She extended her hand. Pip took it, pumping eagerly and grinning.

"This is _so cool_. First, Isa and Nidas out of Correspondence and then their daughter- _who is physically impossible-_ is Marked with a fairy! I'm so _happy_!"

"We noticed." Ni grumbled, massaging his ear. He gripped Lody's hand briefly, pointed at her book. "Find anything?"

"I was looking up imp biology, I was hoping I could find something in there. Unfortunately, it only really tells me about markings appearing and changing over time, a little about on soul marks," she waved her left hand demonstratively, "but nothing on Deprivation. Not unless you include '_it's really bad_'."

"Well, W is back there, checking Bibi over."

"OK, OK." Lody nodded, tapping her chin. "Who's W?"

"My husband." Ni replied, examining the shelves to his right. Lody started to ask something and then shook her head. "What?" He challenged, raising a brow.

"Sorry, on our side, you can only partner with someone of the opposite gender. Bibi said imps aren't like that, you guys are happy with both. I'm still getting my head round it, sorry!"

"It's OK." Erseus squeezed her shoulder. "How are you two getting on?" Lody took off, searching the top shelves again. Ni was already reading, his back to them. Pip bounced over to Sa and Okia. She sat on the arm of Okia's chair, gently inspecting her braid.

"You've got Isa's hair. Has she let it grow back out?"

"Wait, it was short?"

"Yeah, she cut it after L-" Pip stopped. "After she hated it long." She finished lamely. Erseus was shaking his head. Okia sighed, resting her book on her knee.

"Do you mean after what happened with Luke?" Surprise snapped over their features.

"Who's Luke?" Sa asked.

"Mama didn't tell us the whole story, but she told us to watch out for people like him. And how to take care of them if we needed to. Luke's a horrible human who kept Mama prisoner for nearly a winter. He hurt her."

"Oh." Sa sat back, hiding behind her book.

"By the sun!" Lody cried.

"Um, it's by the moon over here." Sa rolled her eyes. Lody landed on the other side of Okia.

"Look at this!" She thrust a large, brown leather-bound book in her face. Okia frowned at the cover.

"That's not Imp."

"No, it's not!"

"Uh, why are you-?"

"It's Fae Tongue. Well, really old Fae Tongue anyway. This must be about a thousand winters old, maybe more."

"_Old_ Fae Tongue?" Pip quizzed.

"We have a simpler version now-" Ni scoffed. Lody ignored him. "But most of our spell books are in the Old Tongue. I can read it."

"But why-?"

"Sorry," she shook her head and held the book up for them to see the cover, the gold stitching of the title glittering softly, "it basically translates into 'A Guide to Quelling Imps'."

"Sounds nice." Ni commented, turning a page. "Let me know when you're done with it, I'll take a gander at it."

"Is he being sarcastic?"

"He speaks sarcasm more than he breathes, just ignore him." Erseus advised. Ni gave a mock, slightly irritated laugh. "Is there anything in it about Deprivation?"

"Yes, but I didn't read it fully."

"Why not?" Sa frowned.

"There were only a thousand copies initially printed." Lody tapped her finger on her forehead, muttering. "If I'm right, that is. If this _is_ the book I'm thinking of, the Imp Guard took and destroyed every copy we ever had, shortly after they won the war."

"So… how does Tia Abeth have this then?"

"Good question. Abeth!" Erseus shouted.

"_What_?"

"I need to pick your brain on something!" She came in, grumbling, Lum perched on her hip and dozing on her shoulder.

"Ma'am," Lody said, "how did you get this book?" She held it up. Abeth frowned at it, trying to place it.

"I _think_ it was in a cart of books I brought, quite a few winters ago."

"Where from?" Erseus asked.

"A merchant, passing through town. Never saw him again. It was a shame, he gave me a wonderful deal." She sighed. "Why, what is it?" Lody explained. Abeth was staring at her as if she were crazy by the time she finished, shaking her head disbelievingly. "Are you _sure_ it's the same book?"

"Mostly, ma'am."

"I… I don't know, I honestly _don't _know. Will it help Bibi?"

"I hope so." Lody plonked herself down on the window seat, flicking through the pages until she found the part she needed.

"Is W still helping Bibi?" Pip asked.

"He's trying," Abeth picked at her lip, "I think he's just easing her pain at the moment." Ni snapped his book shut.

"I'm going to see if he's alright." He started past Abeth, but she grabbed his arm. He snatched it away, protesting.

"No, we need you here. You and Pip. We've got a plan, but we need your help."

"To help Bibi?"

"No, to find Isa."

"_And Papi_." Okia fumed. "_Why_ do I have to keep reminding you people about him?" Dark looks passed between them. Pip lay a hand on Okia's arm.

"Sweetie, before Isa and Nidas went into exile-"

"_Forced_ into exile."

"Yes, of course. Well-"

"We had a falling out." Erseus cut in, shoulders hunched. Okia frowned. He did not look like the same man trying to help her moments earlier. He was darker, angrier. "It wasn't left on good terms, end of story."

"No, wait a second-"

"What's this plan then?" Ni interrupted. Okia glowered at him, but he paid her no mind. "And is it an Abeth plan or an Erseus plan?"

"My plan." Abeth said smugly.

"Well then, we've got less chance of it going horribly wrong-"

"Hey!"

"-do tell."


	23. Chapter 23

**I've not forgotten this story, just been a bit stuck on it! As with the When Disasters Meet as well, major writer's block on them both! D: The ideas are there, but the words are not! **

* * *

"Tia?" Pip glanced around, feeling a tap on her arm. Looking down, she smiled. Okia managed a nervous grimace, not quite looking her in the eye. Pip touched the top of her head, leaning down a little to catch her eye.

"What's wrong, Okia?" She could not _believe_ Okia was real and standing in front of her- a child of two of her best friends. She had not seen Isa or Nidas for winters, but she could easily see them in their brood. Straight away, in their appearances and height, right down to their mannerisms- Okia glaring at them with the same determination as her mother; Char bounding around aimlessly and tinkering with whatever he could get his hands on, just like his father. Abeth was _not_ pleased when her table went up in flames.

Looking at Okia now, she could see the same worried crease at the corners of her eyes. "Hey," Pip smiled reassuringly, laying a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder, "we _will_ get them back. Moon above, I _alone_ need to have a few stern words with them." Okia nodded, only half-listening.

"What happened to Mama?" She asked quietly. "With that human?" Pip hesitated. Okia clenched her fists, steeling her resolve. "She never told us, but we knew it was bad. And… and she told us, she taught us how to defend ourselves. We… Bibi and I, we…" She trailed off, distracted by her sister's condition. Pip waited for her to collect her thoughts, mentally floundering- _how was she supposed to answer this_?

Okia cleared her throat, pressing her hands together. "We figured out that this human hurt Mama. Like… a lot. We… we saw how she was when the nightmares hit. And the scars. And… and obviously the whole thing with… with the Fae being scared of her. They told Bibi." She frowned. "Because of her girlfriend. But I want to know about this human." She met Pip's eyes. She was _not_ going to backdown. "Papi said Mama talked to you, when she got back. He said you're the only one who knows as much as he does."

"I… I do." Pip said uncertainly, her grip tightening a fraction on Okia's shoulder. "I don't know-"

"If it's your place to tell me?" Okia finished for her, arching a disapproving eyebrow. "I get that one a lot." Pip straightened, glancing around at the others. Ni sat on the arm of the seat, watching W worriedly. W was tending to Bibi as best he could, but his frustrations were about to erupt in a tantrum- nothing he tried was doing any good. Erseus and Abeth were talking around the ashes of the dining table.

"I… will tell you some of it." Pip decided. Okia started- despite her stubbornness, she had doubted she would actually get a response. "Let's talk somewhere quieter."

* * *

"Stop it."

"Why?"

"Because you're annoying."

"Sa, he's your cousin!"

"He's annoying!" Sa protested. Char grinned, toppling over the arm of the chair. He landed on his feet and scarpered off. "_Muuuuuuummmmmm_, he's _annoying_!"

"He just has a lot of energy to burn off." Abeth said carefully, feeding Lum. Char wriggled around and through the legs of his cousins, Tob immediately matching his frantic restlessness with his own. The little boy squealed in delight, swung above Tob's head.

"Faster, faster!" He shrieked, kicking his feet excitedly.

"Yeah, here we go!" Tob cackled, racing off.

"Do _not_ burn anything else!" Abeth called after them, sighing when her words went unheard. Lum hiccupped and giggled, mashed food dribbling down his chin. "Don't you encourage them." Abeth chided lightly, catching the food on his spoon.

* * *

Tob spun around with Char on his shoulders, jumping and lunging with jolting halts that made the little boy laugh and clap delightedly. Small hands patted his head excitedly.

"More, more!" Char demanded gleefully. Tob heard a dubious hum to his left and looked round. Char gasped, clapping again. "Tio Grumpy!"

"Excuse me?" Ni arched an eyebrow. Char snickered, rocking from side to side on Tob's shoulders.

"Mama said you Tio Grumpy. Oh! And you needs hugs too!" Char flung his hands out at Ni, grasping the air and staring at him expectantly. Ni frowned. "You very grumpy. Mama said do the hug. Or she will… um…" Char faltered, his mother's warning slipping from his mind. "Don't know." He eventually said. "Not nice though."

"She never is." Ni agreed.

"No!" Char protested. "Mama lovely! Hug now!" Ni sighed, but he knew his cousin. And he was suspecting her son was just as pestering and stubborn as she was.

Ignoring Tob's amazed grin, Ni lifted the boy from his shoulders, sitting him on his hip instead. Char beamed at him, throwing his arms around his neck and snuggling. Ni eyed the mellow orange flames in his hair warily, but could feel very little heat from them.

"Awww," Tob cooed, "you've met your match!"

"Mm-mm." Ni shook his head. "I met my match _winters_ ago. Isa is _the_ biggest pain I have _ever_ had the displeasure to meet."

"Mama lovely!"

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, kid."

Tob didn't get to tease him more. Victorious laughter and whooping burst from the library. The door swung up and Lody was there, holding the Old Fae book aloft in triumph.

"I DID IT!" She sang, pirouetting in the air. "I DID IT, I DID IT, I DID IT! I KNOW HOW TO HELP BIBI!"


	24. Chapter 24

**Bit of darker stuff, forewarning in case of upset**

* * *

Pip had taken Okia to Abeth's workspace. It was the quietest part of the house, "which is saying something," Pip joked, "this place is _never_ quiet."

"Mm." Okia hummed in agreement. "I see Tob makes as much noise for them all."

"Oh no, don't!" Pip laughed. "I love Tob, he's such a sweetheart." She perched herself on the edge of the desk, letting Okia take the chair. Abeth had left some of her plans out. Okia took a moment to examine them, not touching, just looking over. "She's an architect." Pip said proudly. "She's designed villages, towns, even worked for royalty."

"Really?"

"Yep! Her work is probably the most famous in the region." Okia looked up from the work, brow knitting slightly. Pip's expression softened, smile dimming. "Alright." She said. "Alright. I said I'll tell you some of it. _Some_." She stressed when the spark of defiance sprang in the girl's eyes. "But it's really not… ideal."

"I know. Mama still struggles with it now."

"How is she?"

"Better. When we were little, I… I remember her having… the nightmares never seemed to stop. She didn't even have to be asleep to get them. It would… it would affect her abilities; she couldn't always control it. Papi used to fight her with a mop on better days."

"That sounds like Nidas." Pip agreed with a small laugh.

"She was doing really well. But she's been… quiet, since Bibi started seeing Lody. What happened with the Fae?"

"Bad." Pip shook her head. "Really, _really_ bad."

"But what? And what did the human do?"

"Isa and Nidas were Exiled shortly after she got back."

"Back?"

"Mm-hm. The human, he hired a mage. I don't know the full reason, I don't think Isa does either, but they kidnapped her for… experiments, in a way. The mage dampened her connection to her nature. That's how they took her."

"Took her where?"

"Don't know. We spent nearly a winter looking for her, but we never did find her. Not until the Fae-" Pip stopped herself, biting her lip. Okia frowned. "You said you saw her scars."

"Some. Her arms."

"The human and the mage did those. Testing her pain tolerance, she reckoned, and not just on her arms. All over." Pip's expression darkened, grip tightening on the edge of the desk. Okia leaned forward, a question on her lips. "Anything they could do to cause her pain, they did. _Anything._" She fixed a steely look on Okia, imploring and cautionary. Okia… wasn't sure. It had never really been confirmed, but she suspected. She just never asked. How could she? It wasn't something you brought up; it wasn't _anything_ to be brought up.

Pip must have understood. She inclined her head, grimacing. "She miscarried." She said. "She said the human came in again, he came in every night. She was… bleeding, heavily. And he just laughed." She fidgeted with the hem of her shirt. Okia's blood turned cold.

"He didn't-?"

"He did."

"While she was-?"

"Yep." Pip nodded solemnly. Okia's lungs failed, constricting. Tears pricked her eyes, she shook her head. "I'm sorry." Pip said, touching her cheek gently. She swept her thumb under her eye, her own brimming with tears. "Oh, bubba, I'm so sorry."

"N-no, I… I did ask." Okia croaked, sniffing in a shaky breath.

"Do you want me to-?"

"No. I… I need to know." She took Pip's hand, her own trembling. Pip shifted closer, kissing the top of her head. "What… what was next?"

"It was near impossible to figure out _when_ this happened. Isa was so lost within herself, time just meant nothing. From what we guessed though, she… she miscarried maybe two or three quarters before we found her."

"You- you said you didn't find her until the Fae? What happened with the Fae?"

"Um… the human, he… he full-named her."

"No…" Okia squeezed Pip's fingers, fury burning under her skin. "What… what did he make her do?"

"No." Pip shook her head.

"They told Bibi."

"Then wait for them to tell you. Don't be angry. It's for Isa to tell."

"But you've told me everything else."

"No. No, there's more to it."

"_More_? What _more_?"

"I said _some_." Pip reminded her, tone gentle and apologetic. "I don't want to cause you more upset."

"I want Mama to be OK."

"We all do." Pip assured. "But it's one part of her life she wants to forget, don't let it stop her progress."

"I wouldn't, I-" But Okia could feel her temper cooling. If she ever caught this human or the mage, or preferably both, things would most certainly be different. Upsetting her mother to satisfy her own curiosity, however… it was not worth it.

"I DID IT!" The shout made them both jump. "I DID IT, I DID IT, I DID IT! I KNOW HOW TO HELP BIBI!" Okia was on her feet and first out the door. Lody beamed when she saw her, landing in front of her. "I translated it and I know what to do!"

"And it'll work?"

"Yes! But we do need one thing…" Lody's triumph turned meek, drumming her fingers on her book.

"Oh no. What is it?"

"Um…" Lody wrestled with the book, balancing it on her arm and batting through the pages. She showed Okia the text upon finding it, although Okia could not read it. "You wouldn't happen to have another blood imp squirreled away somewhere, do you?"

"No. Wait, what do you mean _another_?"

"Yes." Erseus agreed, startling them. He frowned down at Lody. "Another?"

"Uh…" Lody said brilliantly, smiling and backing away.

"No, no, it's fine." Ni said, butting in, Char still on his hip. "I mean, we're only fresh out of blood imps, seeing as they were all rounded up and killed during the war, but I'm sure one will conveniently turn up."

"_Weeeelllllllll_," Pip was there, grimacing and smiling sheepishly, "we actually _do_ know a blood imp."

"No?"

"Yes."

"Nah-uh." Erseus threw his hands up and moved away from the group.

"It's true!" Pip insisted, going after him. "You know it is!" She grabbed his arm, glaring at him. "How can you even deny it, Ers? Look what happened to her, look what he made her do."

"I know, but-"

"Blood imps are the result of water imps who went through trauma." Pip reminded him. "It's part of her nature now, it can't be changed."

"Isa?" Ni said quietly. "She's… she can do that?"

"Yes. She doesn't like it any more than we do, but it's what she's got." Pip pulled on Erseus's arm. He scowled and looked away. "We have to go, now." When he said nothing, she sighed and turned to the fairy. "Lody, how would it work? What would Isa have to do?"

"Oh. Um. It's not… it's not a Deprivation. You can't _actually_ Deprive an imp, but it's close. It's _Blocking_." She showed Pip the book, although she could not read it either. "The lack of their element closes the magic's general routes. It can't flow as well because the magic's weakened and that's why the marks go black. Whatever energy she has left, it's keeping her alive, that's it, but not for long. Isa would have to reverse it."

"Reverse it?"

"Mm. Unblock it, I guess. It's basically a big zap of energy pulled from the victim's blood. It'll restart them, in a way, but they'll need to be put in their element preferably beforehand or within the minute otherwise-" Lody glanced at Okia, pressing her lips together.

"Otherwise what?" Okia demanded. Lody mumbled incoherently, coiling her hair around her finger. "_What_?" Lody winced, tripping through her words in a rushed squeak;

"She-could-die-or-turn-into-a-mindless-blood-thirsty-monster, mm, what was that, I think I hear someone calling me. Toodles!"


	25. Chapter 25

Okia did not let Lody get far, using a bit of the stone floor to trap her foot. "Care to repeat that, Lody?" She said through a forced smile.

"There's a teeny, tiny, itty bitty chance that it couldn't work?"

"How tiny?"

"Um… like… most likely?"

"No." Okia shook her head. "Mama wouldn't let that happen." She rounded on her uncle, glowering. "What's the plan?" She demanded. Erseus frowned at her.

"You're not coming."

"You can't stop me."

"Yes, I can." Pressure on her feet- he had trapped her like she had Lody. She tried dispelling the rock, but his influence was greater. "Right," Erseus said, looking at the others, "let's go."

"Do you even know where you're going?" Okia protested.

"Ni's quite good at tracking people." Erseus replied evenly, not looking at her. Ni nodded once, trying to pry Char from him.

"Get off, you horrible child."

"No!"

"Char." Okia called miserably. "They're going to help Mama and Papi."

"OK." The boy let go, holding his hands up as if surrendering. Ni sighed and put him down. He bounced away, skidding to a halt before his sister. He puzzled at her ensnared feet, pointing and looking at her quizzically. "Stupid."

"It wasn't me."

"Who?" He spun around wildly, landing an accusing finger on their uncle. "Rock Man! Fight fight!" He declared, bunching his fists. Okia reached out, scruffing him and hoisting him from the floor. "Nooo!" He protested. "Fight fight!"

"No fight fight." She corrected. "Apparently we're not good enough for fight fight." Erseus sighed, rolling his eyes.

"That's not what I said-"

"I'm coming."

"You're not." He ordered, locking a steely frown on her. Okia tipped her chin up defiantly. He wasn't going to stop her. His influence over the earth may have been greater, but she had her mother's stubbornness.

The rock around her feet crumbled into pebbles and she stepped forward, smirking. A flicker of surprise dashed through his eyes, hurriedly quelled. "You're staying here." He repeated, turning away. He gestured to Ni and Pip. Pip motioned to Okia, _stay put_, offering a reassuring, nervous smile. Ni just stared at her, calculating.

A hand fell on Okia's shoulder. She looked up, ready to protest, but only met with W's weary face. He smiled, tired, shadows under his eyes.

"Stay here." He requested softly. "You're safe here."

"I can help."

"I'm not saying you can't. But Isa may remove some heads if you go."

"She wouldn't."

"She would." W said. Ni said it too. And Erseus and Pip and Abeth. Okia stared at them, bewildered and annoyed. W put his arm around her shoulders, squeezing in a one-armed hug. "Listen, it's better if you stay here. We need you to manage that little demon."

"I am demon!" Char agreed, making claws with his hands and snarling playfully. "I cute though!"

"Looks are deceptive." W patted his head. Okia set her brother down, sighing. "Come and help me." W encouraged.

"I'm not a healer."

"But you are her sister. It'll be comforting to her, if she knows you're with her." Okia looked at her sister. She still hadn't woken up. There was very little blue left in her marks. She welled up, sniffing and roughly wiping at her face. She heard the group leave, utilising her indecision.

"Will they get back in time?" She asked quietly.

"Bibi's strong. As are you." He nodded at the pebbles. "Keep Erseus on his toes."

"Oh, I intend to."

"Um, hello?" Lody waved, having patiently waited, revising her book. "Can I have _my_ foot back?"

"No."

"Okia…" W warned.

"Fine." She waved her hand. Lody took off instantly, kicking her legs and relishing in the freedom. "This sucks though."

"I'm sorry I'm not more entertaining." W sighed solemnly, feigning. Okia elbowed him. Char latched onto his leg, grinning. "Mm, you're trouble, aren't you?"

"I'm lovely!"

"Yes, yes. You are a perfect blend of the walking headaches you call parents."

"Thanks!"

"Anytime, little man. You staying there?"

"Yep!"

"Alright then. Let's go." And W limped off, swinging a giggling Char on every other step.


	26. Chapter 26

Ni shuffled forward, crouching in the bushes. A dryad buzzed in his ear, he flailed a hand at her dismissively. Pip sighed somewhere behind him, Erseus just a little behind her. They had headed north, towards the border. It merged onto human lands, although it seemed more wilderness than civilisation.

"How much further?" Pip whispered.

"It's getting stronger." Ni confirmed, glancing back. He saw Pip nod. Ni was an excellent tracker by nature- he could detect life forces. The more connection he had to them, the better, and his connection to Isa stemmed back to childhood. Her energy was rowdy and stubborn and familiar, even with the expanse of winters apart.

He would not say it out loud, but he was rather excited to see his cousin again. He had lost his older sister, Anca, as a boy, an accident on a mission. While there was no replacement for her, not in this lifetime or the next, Isa had stepped up and taken Ni under her wing. He had missed her.

They stepped across the border, a cooling ripple of magic and then into human lands. The humans had no magic. The air felt empty and despondent without it. They kept low, entering a field of waist-high wildflowers. Ni closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. "This way." He breathed, pointing. "We're close."

They didn't have to go far, another hundred paces or so. The field sloped steeply, dropping away and then levelling out a considerable drop away. They lay down at the top amongst the plants. Ni pointed. There was an encampment, mildly camouflaged within the surrounding nature, and that's where he could feel Isa. He was picking up multiple signals now, several bodies in that camp. Two imps, almost thirty humans.

Ni turned, smiling. "Your turn, Pip."

* * *

Nidas sighed, puffing his hair from his eyes. He was leaning through the bars of his cell, swinging his arms, bored. The humans had stuck him down here, and he was absolutely fascinated with their methods. It was below freezing, and he could see parts of the machinery that kept the temperature so low. He was itching to take it apart and study it.

"Helloooooo!" He called, resting his head on the bars. The metal was bitingly frosty; all this cold was stumping out his fire and making him sleepy. "Heeeellll-_ooooooooooooo_."

"Be quiet, imp!" The shout came from upstairs. There was a set of stairs to his left, just out of sight. At the top, a bolted door, two guards outside.

"But I'm bored!"

"I said _be quiet_!"

"I need a wee!"

"You've got a bucket!"

"It's freezing down here though! I'm not risking frostbite on my-"

"Then hold it!"

"No promises!" He grinned. There was no response, which was a bit disappointing. He could hear some murmuring up above, trying to tune into the words. Someone laughed, a woman, sweet and melodic. Then a _thud_, quickly followed by a crash of metal on metal, a heavy _thump_ on the floor.

The latch on the door slid upon, followed by several sets of footsteps on the stairs. Nidas squished his face on the bars to see better, although it didn't work. "Who's there?"

"Me!" Pip bounced into view, flourishing her arms. "And I do _not_ want to know if you've got frostbite _anywhere_ on your body."

"Mm, that's a shame. It's quite interesting really."

"Oh, you don't change." She laughed, shaking her head. Two more appeared behind her, armed with swords.

"Ni, you look as cheerful as I remember!" Nidas beamed. Ni glared at him, aiming his sword at the lock. Nidas looked to the other part of the group, smile fading. "Erseus." He said. Erseus frowned.

"Nidas."

Ni waved Nidas back and he slashed through the lock like paper.

"Humans are so boring." He sighed, sheathing his sword.

"Agreed." Nidas nodded, rubbing his hands together. Pip squealed, bouncing excitedly. "Yes, I've missed y- pfft!" He didn't get to finish his sentence. Pip slammed into him, her hair went his mouth, hugging him so hard, he was sure his spine had been re-arranged.

"Oh, you're cold!" She worried, rubbing his back frantically. "Upstairs, upstairs!" She marched him out, the other two trailing behind them. It was much warmer at the top. The guards were out cold on the floor, smiling contentedly.

Nidas puffed onto his hands, jumping to encourage warmth back into his body. He nudged one of the guards with his foot, blowing a raspberry at him.

"Butthead."

"They're not as squishy as I thought they'd be." Ni remarked.

"What?"

"When I punched them in the face. They weren't squishy."

"Why would they be squishy?" Nidas half-laughed, confused. Ni shrugged.

"Isa's this way." He pointed, leading on. Nidas fell in step next to Pip.

"Why would humans be squishy?" He whispered. She shrugged, touching his arm. "Yes, I am real."

"I've missed you!"

"Who wouldn't?" Nidas grinned. They rounded a corner, Ni hurried forward a few steps. He cut down a burning torch, shoving it at Nidas. "Aww, you shouldn't have!" He gushed, fanning his face.

"Why are you still so annoying?"

"I was exiled with someone equally annoying. We just bounce off each other." Nidas stuck his hands in the flames, lifting them straight from the torch. Energy buzzed through his system, dispelling the residing chill.

Ni threw the torch to one side. Nidas pouted. "Hey, I wanted that."

"Shut up."

"Make me."

"Just… eat your fire or whatever."

"Yes Mum."


End file.
